Vicky Kaushal completes 8 years in Bollywood: I want people to care about my work, expect better films from me

Vicky Kaushal, known for his roles in films like "Raazi" and "Uri: The Surgical Strike," embraces the pressures and responsibilities that come with stardom, seeing them as opportunities for growth as an artist and individual. He wants audiences to have high expectations of his work and is committed to delivering good performances. He believes that success and failure are fleeting and focuses on the process of becoming a better actor. He acknowledges that the fate of a film after its release is beyond his control and emphasizes giving his all to his work.

It’s been eight years since Vicky Kaushal got into mainstream spotlight with Masaan, after doing a couple of brief roles in projects such as Bombay Velvet and Luv Shuv Te Chicken Khurana. As the film completed eight years of its release earlier this week, the actor admits that he doesn’t like to shy away from the pressures that comes with this stardom, and in fact, it only motivates him to push himself as an artiste.

Actor Vicky Kaushal was last seen in film, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (AFP)

“When it comes to stardom, we cannot take it for granted because stardom is not something that we own. It is given to us by the public,” says the actor, adding, “The pressures and responsibilities that come with it, if taken in the right way, is something which will help you grow as an artiste and as a human being. I want that pressure to be there with me.”

The 35-year-old, whose last theatrical outing, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke turned out to be a hit, wants audiences to continue having high expectations from him. “I want people to care about my work, expect good and better, in fact best work from me with every project. When I started off on this journey, it was very clear that there are just two ways for you — one is that you can try and be better with your work, so that people care about what you do. And with that, there will be pressure on you and people will expect better work out of you. And second option was that people will not be happy with your work and not care, hence no pressure,” explains Kaushal, admitting that he was clear what path he wanted to choose.

“For me, there is no middle ground. I have chosen this path where I want to keep delivering good work, and have that pressure of people wanting good work from me,” he adds.

When it comes to his career, Kaushal made a name for himself in the industry through projects such as Raazi (2018), Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and Sardar Udham (2021).

Looking back at his journey, the National Award-winning actor says, “Through the years, seeing the highs and lows, the biggest lesson has been something which is straight out of poem by Rudyard Kipling which says that ‘Success and failure both are imposters. So, nothing should make you fly too high and nothing should make you feel bogged down too much’. I’m attached to the process. My focus is to be a better actor with every project and every day that passes by, and that’s my biggest learning, too.’

That being said, Kaushal is quick to add that what happens with every film after Friday is really not in his control or anybody’s control belonging to that film. “It is to do with destiny. Every film comes with its own destiny. I focus on the learning, no matter what happens, the highs and lows, I give my 100% to my work,” ends Kaushal.