Vikrant Massey: I’ve walked out of '12th Fail' as a better actor and a better person

Vikrant Massey's performance in 12th Fail is undeniably a remarkable one and has audiences, critics, and trade experts calling it one of the best acting performances of the year. He plays the role of an underdog who clears the UPSC exam, making his character one to resonate with many people out there, who are striving to achieve their goals, against all odds.

The actor, in an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan India, talks about the significance of the word restart in his life, his self-belief, how he deals with success and failure, how was he as a 12th grader and more. 

Cosmopolitan India: Entrance exams have become a genre of cinema in itself. What about the film do you think has made many film critics and audiences consider it to be one of the best this year?  

Vikrant Massey: The rest of them are web series, an entirely different offering in a different format to begin with. It’s a completely different ball game there. When it comes to movies, I think that it’s the first film to come out in a long time with its sole focus being an entrance examination. Yes, we had 3 Idiots, which was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra (the director of 12th Fail), it tackled a lot of things. This film, on the other hand, highlighted the UPSC exams through a real-life story. Everyone knows that it’s adapted from a book (by the same name written by Anurag Pathak). But what makes it different is that it’s specifically about the exam, but also a living person right now. The beauty of the film is that it transcends all categories and is representative of the human spirit and the triumph of achievement. These are universal traits if you ask me. Not just with students, but with all people. 

CI: It's an outstanding performance that many predict will bag a host of awards. How are you dealing with the praise, yet keeping your feet on the ground?

VK: I think that people, trade analysts have been kind enough to sort of say this. I think my biggest award right now is seeing audiences head to the theatre and watch this film. I’ve watched two shows with the audiences, and the response is heartwarming. 

CI: The film talks about giving yourself a ‘restart’, do you think your return to a theatrical cinema, after three years, is one?  

VK: Of course. You answered my question. That’s a fact. I’ve now been asked, in interviews, what is that one ‘restart moment’ in your life, I always say that we have to restart from time to time. Life is such. We’re compelled to restart. Right now, I have a film that’s released in theatres after so many years which is another restart moment for me. The word itself speaks about the human spirit and immeasurable human potential and is synonymous with that and life in itself. There are times when it’s a personal loss or a failed aspiration. This one word is so empowering that it encompasses life in itself. 

CI: When the going gets tough, what keeps you going?  

VK: I think one of the reasons why I actually desperately wanted to play this part is because it resonated with me, personally, on a completely different level altogether. I’ve had my fair share of struggles in life and have been fighting against certain norms in my professional life. As I said, I resonated with my own character in life. I think am someone who performs better when under pressure and when the stakes are high or when I’m working with a hard taskmaster like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who I know is going to completely squeeze even the last ounce of acting in me to make the scene the way he sees it. I tend to naturally perform better under pressure. 

What keeps me going is my self-belief. It begins with you. Your family, friends, and well-wishers come much later. The moment you stop believing in yourself, a domino effect begins. Even the ones who have faith in you, start losing hope. To overcome any challenge or obstacle, you need to have belief in yourself. Friends and family play an important role as well and I’ve been blessed with a very robust family system and a strong mindset.

CI: Tell us how you were as a student in the 12th standard.  

VK: I would want to believe that I was an average or an above-average student. The problem was that I was already working by the time I was in the 12th standard. You can’t call it regret, but it is something that makes me want to look back and wish that I’d focused on much better. The nature of my job saw me already do TV by then. I was not able to give my 100 per cent in the 12th standard.

CI: You spent time with kids and aspirants to get into the mindset of a student who is applying for an exam for the 2nd or 3rd time? This sense of realism must have certainly helped    

VK: Of course. You know, Mukherjee Nagar (in North Delhi) cannot be created. That place is an ecosystem in itself. The authenticity factor that you’d see and witness in such places is unmatched and you won’t get it anywhere else no matter how hard you try. Secondly, when you know that Vidhu Vinod Chopra is making the film, the lines between realism and cinema are absolutely blurred. He’s a true filmmaker. You see so many of his films and you’d realise that there is no line between real and cinema at all. It’s his decision to have real students, shoot in Mukherjee Nagar and in real classrooms. And you see the result. 

CI: What feels more important for a student who has cleared such an emotionally, mentally and physically challenging exam—the destination (result) or the journey?  

VK: It’s definitely the journey. I think your journey is what builds character. You’re not defined by your successes, but rather by your failures in life. Be it my character Manoj Kumar Sharma or Vikrant, the person, an actor, it’s always going to be the journey.

CI: Having acted in a movie that’s all about success and failure, how do you, as a person, deal with it?  

VK: The definition of both changes from time to time. My definition of success is not defined by my popularity or bank balance. Even when I was doing Balika Vadhu, the love and adulation received mattered the most. I have been blessed that people accepted me to love and shower their blessings on me. They haven’t gotten bored. This definition may not be the one for you. Today, the world that we live in is different. My definition of success may not be the same 10 years from now. As mentioned earlier, it’s the failures that define you. 

CI: How has working with Vidhu Vinod Chopra made you a better actor?  

VK: He’s not just an incredible filmmaker, but an incredible person. I’ve not only walked out of 12th Fail as a better actor and technician but also as a better person. I found something that I was missing all these years. He’s a mentor, a good friend, and someone I can lean on even on my worst days. He’s a pillar of strength and holds a very valuable position in my life. In my life before and after Vidhu Vinod Chopra, there is a very stark difference. 

CI: What’s your favourite genre and what’s the kind of offerings that you want to do more of?  

VK: I am someone who sticks to my basics and continues doing what I have been doing and correcting myself in that process. I don’t want to bracket myself and I’ve always been very mindful of experimenting and doing different genres in the same calendar. Also, I have a natural tendency to get bored really soon. The worst thing that I can do is to bracket myself. One thing that drives me, with regard to choosing the scripts that I do, is the human factor and connection. The idea is to represent the common man. It could be through a film like Lipstick Under My Burkha or A Death In The Gunj and it can also be a Mirzapur or 12th Fail. The idea is to find that human factor and survival spirit. 

CI: Is there a reason why we don’t see much of you on social media?  

VK: I’m a very private person to begin with. Due to my family system, I’ve kept my private and professional life very apart from each other. I’m someone who wants to guard his private life. I come from a middle-class background, and not much inside that house has changed. It’s the reason why I am able to do what I do outside the house because of the sanity inside it. Social media is an important tool, I do not deny that. It’s a great medium for information and knowledge. Instagram and social media are different for actors because there is a perception of what actors are supposed to do. It does not come naturally to me. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I have and have failed miserably. 

CI: Given how Mirzapur season 1 ended, how do you feel about the journey your character completed in the show? And how much of you will we get to see in the next season? 

VK: I don’t know (how much will I be seen). It’s up to the producers. They can use me in flashbacks for as long as they want to. I’m very proud of that show. It’s a cult show and I’m a fan myself. My wife and I watched the second season in one go starting from midnight all the way till the morning. The day the third season comes out, I’ll be one of the first ones to watch it. 

CI: In an industry where everyone is racing for stardom, Vikrant Massey in 12th Fail is walking his own path. Could you tell us about your slate of upcoming films?  

VK: I've got Sector 36 coming next and a few untitled projects in the pipeline.