Vicky Kaushal was ridiculed by many people for being cast as the lead in the film Masaan, Says casting director-filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra

MUMBAI : Vicky Kaushal is still considered one of Bollywood's finest actors; his performance in the biographical war drama Sam Bahadur, directed by Meghna Gulzar, solidified his outstanding talent.

However, casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra recently said that Kaushal's path to his current position has not been simple, emphasizing the amount of effort he has had to put in to get to where he is now. Chhabra further mentioned how many people initially ridiculed him for giving Kaushal the main role in Masaan (2015), directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.

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“He has been a hard worker since his initial days as an assistant director. He was very dedicated. Be it Raman Raghav 2.0, Masaan or Sanju, I personally auditioned him for these films and hence I have witnessed closely the amount of hard work he does. He used to work non-stop,” Chhabra recalled during a chat with the popular news portal.

Chhabra also mentioned that many industry insiders were initially skeptical when Kaushal was cast in the lead role in Masaan and added that some even ridiculed the decision. “Arey yaar, kisko hero ke role mein cast kar diya (Hey, why did you cast a guy like him as a hero?),” he quoted them saying.

“You can’t say such things about anyone with certainty. With his charm and hard work, he eventually proved everyone wrong. His talent, honesty and sincerity also played a role. But the amount of hardwork he has done… Not just Vicky, people like Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana too.”

In the 2012 two-part epic crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur, Kaushal worked as director Anurag Kashyap's assistant before making his acting debut in the comedy Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, which Kashyap co-produced. His portrayal in Masaan earned him his first significant praise.

In Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), Kaushal made his big-screen debut as a grey-shaded police officer. In the upcoming comedy film Bad Newz, which stars Ammy Virk and Triptii Dimri, Kaushal is getting ready for its release. The film is slated to open in theatres on July 19.

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Credits – The Indian Express