Meet Vicky Kaushal, The Engineer Who Made His Bollywood Dream Come True

Marriage material, or chocolate boy; India’s most desirable, or India’s most stylish – the man has no end to the number of tags he has been given or accolades that he has won. There is also no end to the long list of women vying for his attention, including the likes of Katrina Kaif! What is it that makes him so special? 

Though not entirely an outsider to the industry, Vicky was brought up like any other normal kid. “We didn’t discuss films on the dining table,” Vicky had said in an earlier interview. The first time he went on set was for Fiza, which instantly made him a fan of Hrithik Roshan. On sharing his inspiration about being an actor with his father – it was met with some trepidation. His father asked him whether or not he was taking up the profession because he wanted to choose the ‘easy road’ – something which clearly he replied to in the negative.

Acting was charted for him, the stars were aligned, but education took him on a different course. Vicky Kaushal was in the field of engineering, after which he chose to go for a job interview, when his mind was telling him otherwise. He sat through the interview, giving it his best, and even landed the job offer! It was when he had the job letter in hand, however, that he had his ‘3 Idiots’ moment. He tore the letter apart and decided to pursue his first passion – acting.

He first worked as an Assistant Director in Anurag Kashyap’s film Gangs of Wasseypur. Vicky credits the stint as Assistant Director with everything he knows about production and filmmaking, and is still deeply in awe of the director with whom he started his journey. Zubaan was his first film that he signed – the first big break he had been waiting for for several years. It was just a string of successful films after that.

Masaan, which was his first big break, landed him critical appreciation and success like no one would have expected. The film was not a glamorous role in any form – devoid of any of the shackles of a commercial Bollywood offering. Deepak, his character from a lower caste Hindu family, was much adulated and catapulted him into the pinnacles of success like no other film. “It’s been a surreal journey for me since Masaan,” was what Vicky had to say.

Love Per Square Foot, another example of a great film in Vicky’s film repertoire. His character in the film seemed very relatable, a simple guy with so many dreams to fulfill! Raazi, in which his character, Iqbal Syed brought everything he had to the forefront to sacrifice for his motherland. “It was more than just another spy story,” Vicky had said in an interview. Every film he has done after that was just an added feather to his cap. His crazy musician’s portrayal in Manmarziyaan, the loyal friend in Sanju, or the fearsome Major in Uri – Vicky Kaushal was like fine wine, getting better with every film.

Vicky Kaushal is, by any standards, the true definition of a man who is true to what he does and what he believes in. Vicky stands testimony to the fact that if you have a dream, and you work hard enough towards it – you can reach for the stars!