Vicky Kaushal: I genuinely feel hungrier than ever before

Vicky Kaushal was on a roll this year with back to back releases that showed his versatility as an actor. It all began with the slice-of-life rom-com Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, followed by the family comedy The Great Indian Family. He then delved into a biographical war drama titled Sam Bahadur and concluded the year with a highly anticipated project, Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki. As Kaushal reflects on the year gone by, he shares a profound takeaway - a sense of increased hunger and ambition. "I genuinely feel hungrier than ever before," he says.

"This year, I kept saying that Sam was the toughest role that I took up and the toughest film that I did. But now I really want to push that envelope further. I want to plunge myself into even tougher situations as an actor. That's the phase I am in. I feel really charged up for the journey ahead. That's what 2023 did to me," he tells us.

Looking back, Kaushal further recalls how the years holistically was a very remarkable one for him. "It's a very gratifying feeling to be closing the year on such a note. During the first quarter, I was shooting for Sam Bahadur, which was a very enriching experience for me as an actor. While I was waiting for the films to release, I was prepping for another film. The first one that came out was Zara Hatke Zara Bachke in June and it worked wonderfully, that too at a time when people were saying that 'it's not going to do well in theatres...it should have been released on OTT'. Contrary to their opinions, people really appreciated the film and it was very humbling for me. Sam got resonated with the audience again and then of course Dunki was the last one, and it did well as well. It's been surreal," he says, adding, "That's what you seek as an artiste. It's a great feeling when your film comes out, and the hard work that you have put in resonate with the audience."

Over the years, Kaushal has established himself as one of those actors who look for meaningful and powerful roles. However, with projects such as Govinda Naam Mera and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, he surprised the audience. Many even called these films a risky proposition. But Kaushal was always very confident about the projects. "As an artiste, I am on the quest to always take up as varied characters as I can because that's how I will grow as an actor. When I get a film, all I focus on is if the film is resonating with me- be it the story, the character or the director's vision. All these films, whether it was Zara Hatke.., The Great Indian Family or Govinda Naam Mera, got me excited about them...about the chat they were trying to have with the audience. So there was no skepticism involved," he tells us.

Having said that, Masaan actor points out that the time when he chooses to do a film and when the film is actually released is different, and that might something change the whole game. "Sometimes it will be in the favour of your film and sometimes it will be not. But at the end, you just have to believe that if it's something that hits the right emotions, then no matter what phase it is released in, it will connect with the audience. This year has many such examples and Zara Hatke... was one of them."

Kaushal agrees that he gets driven by films such as Sam Bahadur, Sardar Udham and Uri: The Surgical Strike. "It comes with a certain kind of responsibility towards the character that you are playing. These kind of characters also bring out the best in me. But you will always be hungry as an actor to explore different genres," he ends.