New Year special | Vicky Kaushal: I wish for the world to get rid of coronavirus in 2021

Excited about having his plate full with work in 2021 with three projects so far, actor Vicky Kaushal says he’s grateful to be working with some of the most celebrated filmmakers. Talking about the pandemic, he urges everyone to take precautions as the virus scare isn’t over yet.

“Unprecedented, difficult and unpredictable”, that’s how Vicky Kaushal defines 2020. Looking up, the wishes that in 2021, the world would get rid of coronavirus.

Actor Vicky Kaushal is known for his Bollywood films such as Sardar Udham Singh, The Immortal Ashwatthama and the biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

“I hope the vaccine would be available for everyone soon and this year would be a healthier year for all,” he says, adding that he he’s much of a New Year resolution person. “I believe if you feel like taking up a resolution, you shouldn’t wait for a new year to ring in,” he says.

A packed calendar

At the work front, Kaushal has Sardar Udham Singh releasing this year. “It’s in the middle of post-production. I think like everyone else, the makers are waiting for the theatres to be fully functional, for people to start going out and then accordingly release new films,” says the actor.

Next in line are The Immortal Ashwatthama and the biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. He has also signed another big banner project, but can’t divulge details.

“I’m currently prepping for The Immortal Ashwatthama. It’s my first superhero film and I’m looking forward to that journey to start,” he continues, “For Sam Manekshaw, we’re trying to bring something fresh to the table, so yes I’m excited about that as well.”

Hungry for variety

Measured about his choice of narratives, The Uri: The Surgical Strikes (2019) actor is content with the variety on his plate. As an artiste, he’s always on the “lookout to work with good storytellers”, be a part of great stories and do characters that challenge his capabilities and help him grow as an actor.

“I feel blessed to be working the likes of Shoojit Sircar, Aditya Dhar and Meghna Gulzar in my upcoming films. And the characters I am portraying in these projects are completely different from each other and each one has its complexities,” adds the 32-year-old.

Meanwhile, Kaushal also shows inclination towards the web. With his film Love per Square Foot and anthology film Lust Stories (both released in 2018), he had ventured into OTT but since then he didn’t have any tryst with the medium.

“I think makers and the audience have really opened up to the web now. I don’t know if it would be possible for me to do something on OTT in 2021, because I’m committed to my other projects. Everything has gotten delayed because of the pandemic. But, yes, if anything interesting comes up and I can manage, then I’ll definitely do it,” he affirms.

Word of caution

Even though people have slowly started to get back to work and shoots have also restarted, Kaushal asserts that one should remember that the pandemic isn’t over yet.

Expressing displeasure about how some people are still flouting norms, he urges, “People need to take things seriously, take basic precautions like wear mask and maintain social distance. The virus is very much out there. If not for yourself, think about those surrounding you — your family, friends, and colleagues. We can’t take things lightly and flout regulations.”

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Author tweets @Shreya_MJ