Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 co-star arrived in Mumbai with ₹5K, sold insurance policies, became overnight star at 50

After small roles, Suvinder Vicky's breakthrough came with the Netflix show Kohrra. He features in Emraan Hashmi's latest hit Awarapan 2.

The stories of many aspiring actors who arrive in Mumbai with little money but big dreams of making it in the film industry are plenty and time immemorial. Most among this aspiring lot perish while struggling in the glamour city, while only a handful make it to the other end. Suvinder Vicky is among those who have managed to make it to the other side.

Suvinder Vicky in a still from Milestone.

The actor, who is currently enjoying the success of his first mainstream film success, Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, had seen years of struggle before finally getting the recognition and love that he deserved. From arriving in Mumbai with just ₹5,000 to doing small roles in Punjabi and Hindi films and selling insurance policies to survive, Suvinder's journey is one of perseverance and an unwavering passion for acting. Here is the story of Suvinder Vicky.

Arrived in Mumbai with ₹5,000

Suvinder was born into a non-film family in Punjab. He grew up with an interest in cinema, which is why he decided to pursue formal training and enrolled in a Master of Arts in Theatre and Television at Punjabi University, Patiala. Like every aspiring actor, Suvinder's ultimate dream was to come to Mumbai and make it big.

During an earlier interaction, he had revealed that he took part in a play and earned ₹5,000 from a theatre production. He took that money to travel to Mumbai and try his luck in acting. However, that money ran out faster than he thought, and he returned to Punjab within a month. He revealed that there was a time in Mumbai when he hardly had enough money to eat.

Stint in Punjabi films

Suvinder Vicky did minor roles in Punjabi films, often playing the uncle or a distant relative. His acting career began in 2004 with Des Hoyaa Pardes. After working for almost a decade in Punjabi films, he made his first appearance in a Hindi film with Udta Punjab, where he played a small role. He also did a character role in Akshay Kumar's Kesari.

While these roles were not necessarily the kind that brought him widespread recognition, they helped Suvinder remain connected to the industry and continue pursuing his passion. He kept taking up work while waiting for the kind of opportunity that would allow him to showcase his acting abilities on a much larger platform.

Sold insurance policies to survive

While speaking to Film Companion, Suvinder admitted that he sold insurance policies in order to survive during the time he pursued acting. Speaking to Film Companion, he said, “Acting isn’t like a proper 9-5 job. The trend in our family was always that either you look after the farm or get a regular job. My father fortunately had a regular job and would do as a hobby, so I inherited that passion. Even I tried to do that, without actually wanting to do it, that I do regular work and pursue this as my hobby. I would get anxiety thinking I will have to do something apart from acting.”

His experience reflected the uncertainty that comes with pursuing acting without a family background in films. While many aspiring actors are forced to give up when opportunities fail to come their way, Suvinder continued to find ways to support himself while staying committed to his craft.

Kohrra happened

At 50, things changed for Suvinder almost overnight after the Netflix web show Kohrra was released. He received immense praise for his grey character, and even Karan couldn't stop praising him on social media. The director/producer wrote, "“I was blown away by Suvinder Vicky’s performance, he is and will be the revelation of 2023 across film and streaming … his silences can launch a million scripts.”

The show became an important turning point in Suvinder's career and introduced him to a much wider audience. His performance established him as an actor capable of bringing intensity and depth to complex characters, earning him recognition that had eluded him during his years of smaller roles.

Then came Dhurandhar, Satluj and Awarapan 2

Suvinder played a small but pivotal role in Ranveer Singh's juggernaut Dhurandhar: The Revenge. He played the role of Arjun Rampal's character Major Iqbal's father in the film. Though he had limited screen presence in the film, he made sure he left his mark in the star-studded cast.

He was also part of Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj, in which he played the negative role of SSP Surjit Singh Sugga. Once again, the actor took on a character that allowed him to explore a darker and more intense side of his acting abilities.

Suvinder is currently seen in Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2. The film has been a massive hit at the box office. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Suvinder spoke about his character in the Emraan Hashmi-starrer and how he was elated to be a part of a mainstream Bollywood film. "When I heard the script, I felt like this character is for me. I want my characters to be a little intense and also to have deep emotions. It is a different character than what I have played so far. I wanted to do a mainstream commercial film and the fact that this is backed by Mukesh Bhatt and stars, Emraan Hashmi and Shabana Azmi added to the appeal," he said.