Vikrant Massey
's career in the entertainment industry began quite unexpectedly at a restaurant named "Out of the Blue." He met a creative director, Deepthi Kalpani, who liked his look and offered him a
TV show
role. At the time,
Massey
didn’t own a mobile phone and gave her his landline number. Persistent calls led him to finally accept the offer, marking the start of his
acting career
.
During his conversation with former journalist, RJ and presenter Richa Anirudh at
TOI Dialogues
held in Varanasi, Massey reflected on his
humble beginnings
. He shared, "I always wanted to be an actor. Like a middle-class guy, I wanted to do a graduation. But then I realized, I think the best way to learn is on the job." This pragmatic approach paid off, and soon he was cast without even having to audition, simply because he looked the part. They told him that he will get more than 6000 episodes. This happened at the end of 2003.
However, Massey's first role never made it to air. "The name of the show was 'Kahaan Hoon Main' And where did that show go? No one knows. That show disappeared," he recounted with a laugh. Despite starting with a show that never aired, he didn't give up. Instead, he took a job as an assistant creative in the same production house.
TOI Dialogues Varanasi | Unveiling the growth story of Varanasi | Times of India | Uttar Pradesh
This resilience paid off when he landed a role in the popular TV show
Balika Vadhu
, where he worked with experienced actors from NSD and learned a lot from them. "No matter how big or small the job is, it is not for me even today," he asserted.
The informal,
on-the-job training
Massey received has been invaluable. He attributes much of his growth to observation and learning from his co-actors and directors. "Observation is more important than formal training. Yes, formal training is good, but what has worked for me is observation," he said. Massey believes that understanding human emotions and interpersonal relationships is crucial to his craft, and he continues to draw inspiration from the world around him.
Now 37, with 21 years of acting experience, Massey feels he still has much to achieve. "There is still a lot of time, where I can learn a lot. There is a lot that I want to do. If you work honestly, it may take a little more time. Mostly, the right path is a little long, but eventually, you will reach your destination," he concluded.
English (US) ·