Vikrant Massey reveals how he earned Rs. 300 from Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) Actor Vikrant Massey shared that he earned around Rs. 300 from filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra during the making of the acclaimed film 12th Fail.

In a candid conversation with Shekhar Suman on Shekhar Tonite, Vikrant opened up about his journey with Vinod Chopra during 12th Fail.

Talking about his first meeting with the filmmaker, Vikrant recalled, “12th Fail was a very special experience for me because I gave one and a half years to the film. When I first met Vinod sir, Rajkumar Hirani ji had recommended my name to him. He had seen my film A Death in the Gunj and my show Mirzapur.”

The actor said in his first meeting, the filmmaker was very honest with him.

“He told me that he liked my work, but he also said that Mirzapur was not a show he could watch beyond one episode. He then asked me, ‘Why should I work with you? You are a TV actor.”

“People watch you for free at home, so why would they come to a theatre to watch you?’ I took it very sportingly because, somewhere, I felt there was truth and constructive criticism in what he was saying. I simply told him that I wanted to work with him.”

Vikrant shared that during the audition, he sat in the position that you see in the opening shot of 12th Fail.

“When Vinod sir saw me in that position, he got up and said that I wanted to direct this boy. What made the experience special was that he involved me in the development of the film and the script,” Vikrant said.

He added: “Usually, actors come onto a film just a few months before the shoot, but I got to see the entire process of how 12th Fail was developed. It was the first time someone had given me that kind of access and asked me, ‘What do you think?’ I really enjoyed being part of that process, and I believe it was one of the most important reasons I was able to do what I did in the film.”

Vikrant said that Vidhu Vinod is a very strict person, but despite that, he has become like a father figure to him in the industry.

“I was scolded a little before the shoot, but throughout the entire shooting process, he did not scold me even once. In fact, whenever an actor gave a good take, he would give them Rs. 10 or Rs. 20, and I earned around ₹300 from him during the film! For me, that appreciation was the real wealth. That relationship and that experience are something I will always value.”

Shekhar Tonite airs on YouTube.

–IANS

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