A day in the life of Vicky Kaushal

The actor talks about settling into fame, overcoming anxiety, and finding joy in being kind.

- RASNA BHASIN

It’s not every day that you stroll onto a beach at 9 am and find Vicky Kaushal casually posing for the camera. But Bazaar India and Juhu Beach share quite a special relationship. And Kaushal makes room within that dynamic with ease. He is a breath of fresh air, Bollywood’s raging green flag, if one were to go by the opinions of the internet and the industry. Kaushal is soft-spoken, well-mannered, and just a wellrounded gentleman in the bad boys club. The brief of this shoot is simple: We want to know what a day in the life of Kaushal is like. Through a 12-hour shoot with the heartthrob, I realise that Kaushal is a much bigger star in real life than on the silver screen.

Days later, I catch up with Kaushal over the phone. His warm voice immediately sets a welcoming tone for the conversation. I began with a classic question: If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be? “Oh god...basic, tall, and hungry,” he laughs. Tall, and hungry, sure, but Kaushal is anything but basic. After a decade in films, I can only imagine the work it takes for him to stay rooted in his craft. Humility, however, comes naturally to him. Even after a barrage of fans and fan accounts that can’t get enough of him, a star is not what he considers himself to be. “To me, a star is someone whose films I would watch regardless of the story or trailers. It’s always a compliment to be called one, but I’m not sure if I’ve earned that title yet,” he says.