Vikas Kumar made his mark by acting in web series like 'Arya' and 'Kaala Paani'. Recently speaking to Frontpage Insights, he said that reaching here was not at all easy for him. Initially, it faced rejection many times because of its appearance and color. Now he has also become a producer and is bringing new stories to people through his productions. Read some key excerpts from the conversation:
Acting journey with difficulties Stepping into the city of dreams like Mumbai had a lot of expectations, but the road was not that easy. In the early days, I survived by doing odd jobs, staying at other people's houses, then staying in a 1 BHK with friends. It became common to go with a copy to a big production house like Balaji and face frequent rejections. Although I kept a record of every meeting, struggled for six-eight months, but success eluded me. During this time, Mumbai's seashore became my refuge – a place that gave me peace in times of loneliness and failure.
Facing frequent rejection due to appearance and color A big challenge for me was also because of the 'look' and the color. For this reason, I was often called unfit in serials based on Indian characters. My color was often the reason for rejection. Many times I was told in no uncertain terms – you are not suitable for this role. I even asked once what are you making that people like me don't fit in? Is this show from England? It was not easy to face such questions and rejection.
However, I never saw it as a hindrance. Actors like Mithun Da, Nawazuddin Siddiqui have also faced similar rejections and carved a niche for themselves. Thinking this I also did not give up and continued on my way.
Balancing family and conflict While doing theater in Delhi I didn't get paid, I just went to actors' parties. Even for big dramas per show Rs. Not more than 500 are available. I had to bear the travel expenses for the play myself, but staying at my brother's house provided some relief. When I told my family that I was a hero, they didn't believe me. The journey was very difficult, but I continued to prove myself through theater and small projects.
First acting opportunity in Mumbai and recognition in CID After theater and small projects I got an opportunity to work with Yashraj Television. She got lead roles in serials like 'Powder' and 'Khote Sikkey', but suddenly these shows were discontinued. Then I got a chance to work in 'CID'. There was some hesitation at first, but no regrets later. Even today people recognize me from the character Rajat played in CID. This belief is very special to me.
A fresh start as a producer and storyteller Now I have become a producer. An audio app called Velvet has also been developed. However, we are not making much money from this right now, but we are focusing on good content. I have made three short films and some documentaries so far. Our first short film 'Sonsi' has also won a National Award and qualified for an Oscar. We take our films to different film festivals and are looking for new things.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
