No looking back for this Mukkabaaz
Even after playing lead in ‘Mukkabaaz’ and a prominent role in Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Gold’, nothing has changed for actor Viineet Kumar. The actor, who hails from Varanasi, says he is doing all types of roles, including main lead or any good role that gives him chance to grow as an actor.
Even after playing lead in ‘Mukkabaaz’ and a prominent role in Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Gold’, nothing has changed for actor Viineet Kumar. “Had I put myself in the bracket ‘ki ab hero ka role hi karna hai’ (that I have to play main lead) then I would have limited myself in a bracket. I wouldn’t have got chance to experiment,” says the actor on his visit to Lucknow for the shoot of Jhanvi Kapoor starrer ‘Kargil Girl’.
The actor, who hails from Varanasi, says he is doing all types of roles, including main lead or any good role that gives him chance to grow as an actor.
“July onwards, my projects will start coming nearly every month. Every project is very different from my previous films. I was able to do this because I didn’t restrict myself in a bracket. This is why after ‘Mukkabaaz’ I worked to ‘break my body’ (come out of boxer’s built) as it was for a particular character and film. I took time as I wanted to choose projects in which I can experiment myself. If required for another project, I will again build body and maybe go a level ahead.”
His next film ‘Adhaar’ stars Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla, Raghuveer Yadav, Ishtiyaque Khan and Prithvi Hatte. “I play the main lead in the film which has amazing actors. It has been directed by Florida-based Suman Ghosh, whose two films have earlier bagged National awards. It’s an amazing script and after watching the film no one will say that Viineet is anywhere close to his Mukkabaaz role and that’s what I want to achieve.”
Viineet also did ‘Tryst With Destiny’ which revolves round Pt Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic speech. “It has four stories and one of them is my story,” he says and adds, “I have also shot for a big show on OTT (over the top) platform which is yet to be announced. Then I have Saand Ki Aankh and Kargil Girl.”
About ‘Kargil Girl’, he says, “I am excited about this film as it’s my first project with Dharma Production. Everyone knows it’s a biopic (on Gunjan Saxena), rest I can’t reveal now. My character and look in the film are in a different space.”
Viineet plays Dr Yashpal in Saand Ki Aankh that was shot in Meerut. “The story of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar is amazing and very inspiring. It’s a very important and amongst top four characters in the film. Here, I got chance to play a very different character. This is somewhere related to sports. Also, for the first time I got to play a role set in Western UP,” he says.
The actor admits that his solo lead ‘Mukkabaaz’, directed by Anurag Kashyap, did wonders for him. “It has been 19 years that I am working in the industry. I can say that hard work does not go waste. It can delay you then you get success. One ‘Mukkabaaz’ has given me back 10 years of struggle. I have been nominated in most award ceremonies and got me best actor awards, not just from public but from critics too,” he says.
Lucknow is not new for Viineet. “I have stayed here for long time during the shoot of ‘DaasDev’ in 2014. I had come in between but it was for very short time. This time I am getting enough time to move around and I see that the city has changed drastically. I have not seen such rapid development anywhere as I see here.”
Recalling about his early days, he says, “I remember coming here to KD Singh Babu Stadium as a boy for my first basketball trials. Before playing national, I was selected here for the state team. So, I have deep connection and good memories about the city.”