'Before 2018, I was referred as the 'Masaan' guy': Vicky Kaushal

With back-to-back hits in 2018 Vicky Kaushal may have become one of the most sought after actors from the younger lot, but he is aware that success and failure go hand-in-hand. The 30-year-old actor, who was part of films like Raazi, Sanju, Manmarziyaan and Netflix's Lust Stories and Love Per Square Foot, said his aim as a performer is not to repeat himself. "My only attempt is to keep surprising the audience. I want to be honest to a character that I play. I have started, I might fall, might get up, then again fall and rise and this will continue to happen. But I will never stop trying," Vicky said.

The actor made a mark for himself as a versatile performer in the year gone by and he feels blessed to have received the love from the audience. "On most occasions before 2018, I was referred as the 'Masaan' guy and the biggest change is I got my identity as Vicky Kaushal, the actor. I feel blessed and fortunate to have been working with some great directors."

"I have learnt a lot as an actor and that will reflect in my work henceforth. It is a beautiful thing to be loved. It makes me feel I am the best version of myself. I feel gratified, surreal. It feels great to be respected as an actor," he added.

Vicky, son of noted action director Sham Kaushal, said he feels proud to see his parents happy with his career graph. "My parents have seen me in time of struggle... They supported me. They have seen that my life was not moving forward for couple of years and I was struggling. Finally they saw that my work is liked by the audience and I am working with big people, so they are very happy. I just want to keep working harder and harder for everyone," he said.

Vicky will next be seen in Uri: The Surgical Strike. The film, which releases on January 11, marks his first mainstream solo outing. He also has Karan Johar's next directorial venture Takht in his kitty.