Vicky Kaushal: The unconventional artiste who dared to rise amongst the stars

I still remember the day I watched ‘Masaan’; a movie which came like a breath of fresh air amongst the racy dramas that were ringing the box office. It had no commercial names to back it up, neither did it boast of big brands, but it did have raw and unadulterated performances and a story that hit hard where it should, the everlasting after-effects of a few moments of moral policing. And this was the movie which gave rise to an innocent face with the hardcore performer beneath the surface. The name was Vicky Kaushal, and that moment was just the start of a tsunami of talent that this man was. He carried off the role of a Benaras boy with such nuance, that all were left in awe.

In case you had slightest scepticism about his acting prowess, he came up as Dilsher in his next film ‘Zubaan’, wherein he essayed a character who suffered a phobia of music due to some unfortunate incidents in life, and again came out victorious.

Here was an actor with eyes that spoke of his thirst for learning, and a plethora of talent that was waiting to be tapped. Here was a personified version of potential that was brimming to surface. Was Bollywood ready for it? Were we as audience ready for it? Not in entirety, but there was some level of acceptance, which led Vicky to take slow and steady steps. (Also Read: Revealed! Here is what Vicky Kaushal will do in Sanjay Dutt’s biopic)

He was making a name for himself in an arena full of biggies, one award at a time, garnering appreciations and accolades along the way as he swept everyone off with the earnestness with which he performed in each frame.

Then came ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, where the competition of neck-to-neck performance was with none other than Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is a pool of endless talent, in himself. Here too, Vicky surpassed himself, in the role of an anti-hero, which was dark and gritty and in stark contrast with his innocent one in ‘Masaan’. Anurag Kashyap managed to bring out the darker side of the ‘good boy’ and Vicky shattered every stereotype, with this act.

And now, next we will be seeing him playing a pivotal role in the most-awaited biopic of the year, that of Sanjay Dutt. With an ensemble cast where a pool of talent has been brought together, it will be quite interesting to see Vicky carving out a niche for himself. We cannot wait to watch him back on screen, and relish our cinematic senses to whatever he has got to offer now.

Bollywood is waiting for actors to claim their thrones. We have stars, with their empires rolling out glittery grandeurs every now and then, but an actor is somewhere lost in the shiny dazzle. Can Vicky bring respite to the drought of talent? Can he be the phoenix rising from the ashes, as he becomes the artiste rising amidst the stars? Yes, we believe so.

Kadambari Srivastava

Grammar Nazi, word weaver, dreamer, bibliophile, technophile, caffeine addict, foodie, shuttling shopaholic! Mash it in a Bollywood recipe and voila! Pushpa, you’ve got her!