Vickey Kaushal Opens Up About His Journey

Vicky Kaushal’s is the quintessential journey of a common boy who works hard to live his monumental movie-star dreams. From being an assistant director on the sets of Gangs of Wasseypur, he went on to portray a memorable small-town boy, Deepak Kumar, in Masaan. The rest, as they say, is history. On a short weekend getaway from the City of Dreams, Kaushal spoke to Kumar Shree about his journey, love for travel, bucket-list destinations and more.

It’s a misty day in Lonavala. The cool breeze carries a chill on its back, while the rain plays peek-a-boo. The day is punctuated with stretches of noisy downpours and silent stillness. We are perched at an eco-resort called The Machan – A Tree House Resort in Lonavala. It is here and on the Mumbai-Lonavala highway that Bollywood heartthrob Vicky Kaushal revs up the all-new Volkswagen Tiguan and chats with us on his many journeys, including the journey within.

Tell us about your acting journey so far.

Vicky: My journey has been beautiful. I’ve learned a lot and got to work with some of the finest people in the industry. Sometimes, I feel I’m getting more than I dreamed of. This motivates me to keep pushing my own boundaries and to keep giving my best, because when you receive love from the audience, which I have received quite a bit, it puts you in a positive space.

Some might say that you have transitioned from being an actor to a star. What all has changed?

Vicky: More people know my name, more people take selfies. I’m getting to work with bigger directors and bigger producers on bigger films. The love that I’m receiving is rising exponentially.

A character that’s close to your heart and why?

Vicky: All the characters that I’ve played are close to my heart, because you give a part of yourself to every character, and the character too gives a part of itself to you. I guess playing Deepak in Masaan will always be special because certain things [about that role] changed my life for good.

What’s the equation between your travel and work?