Post Dil Dhadakne Do, Vikrant Massey has several things to look forward to. Not only has he bagged a lead role in Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut, he has also turned producer. The actor in partnership with Nivedita Basu has launched a production banner, and made his first short film 35 MM directed by Chandan Roy Sanyal. The script written by Chandan was first sent to New York for JD shorts, which invites scripts from all over the world. “The top three scripts are selected and Hollywood actor Adrien Brody produces and acts in the chosen ones. Chandan’s script made it to the top 10,” says Vikrant, which disappointed Chandan.
“We were sitting and chatting over a couple of drinks when Chandan said it would have been nice if Adrien had acted in it. A couple of our friends had acted in his Darjeeling Limited and were looking forward to working with him again. That’s when I said, it doesn’t matter, I will produce it,” explains the actor.
He, however, has no intention of acting in his productions. “Luckily, I am being hired by other producers, so I don’t need to act in my films. Plus, I want to focus on one thing at a time,” reasons Vikrant. As for taking the film to festivals, the actor-producer is clear that he wants to reach a wider audience. “Only the festival and digital platforms give you absolute freedom to express yourself,” he says.
The actor is also excited about his first lead role in Konkona’s film. “I am playing the protagonist and that too in a Hinglish film. In fact it even has some Bangla in it as I am shown to be a 23-year-old Bengali guy from a modest upbringing. Based in the ’70s, it is a thriller drama with a wintery feel to it. I am pumped about it. It is going to be a film with a ‘real’ feel to it,” says Vikrant whose simple boy-next-door image has become popular in the ad circuit too.
The Nescafe ad has him playing a cartoonist whose services are discontinued from a newspaper that has dropped cartoons. After a bit of a struggle — uploading his cartoons — he hits big time. This ad has won a lot of acclaim. Since then Vikrant has become a regular face on the ad circuit. The actor agrees, “Nescafe changed things for me. People have faith in me to be a part of the story. The ad has a lot of the ‘real’ me in it.”
Vikrant, who started his career on TV with shows like Dhoom Machao Dhoom and Balika Vadhu among others, is still open to it. “I want to be part of shows with good stories. I did Qubool Hai for seven months after Lootera and quit when I got bored. If I have to devote three-four months to a show it has to be interesting,” he says.
