Mumbai: At a time when the 'outsiders versus insiders' debate is at an all-time high, actor Vikrant Massey said it feels "incredible" when filmmakers write a part keeping him in mind.
In the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, many from the film industry have opened up about the struggle of surviving in Bollywood.
"While doing television, I had seen this thing and a lot of people had made me aware about it. I knew it would take ten to 11 years for me to re-establish myself in film. I was willing to do it because I know I possess something which is unique and it is being recognised."
"It is a paradoxical situation today, nepotism is there but ultimately, survival is because of talent," Massey told PTI in an interview.
The 33-year-old actor was at the pinnacle of his career when he switched from TV to films, a move he described as a "well-thought-out" one.
"I was doing TV from the age of 17... compromised on my college attendance, did distant education, the reason for all of it was money. After working in TV for 10 years I felt I had earned a lot of money... it was a big decision to quit TV," he said.
He may have started off by playing roles easy to be branded as 'supporting characters' in films, but the actor had his shining moments as the vulnerable Shutu in Konkona Sen Sharma's directorial debut A Death in the Gunj, the reluctant gangster Bablu in Mirzapur and the murder accused Aditya in Criminal Justice.
Massey said an insider may get "head start," but eventually talent is the driving force.
"How much ever influential a person or whoever's son or nephew one maybe, you will survive only if you deliver. Because of this entire structure, my focus has always been on delivering my best performance," the actor added.
All in all, being an outsider doesn't feel like a disadvantage to him.
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"I am happy that there are first-time directors who want to work with me. First-time directors like Konkana Sen Sharma, Arati Kadav or Seema Pahwa, they want to work with me and that is such an incredible feeling."
"It feels good when someone says I have written this script for you and I want to work with you, so maybe I am doing something right. I do not regret that I am not an insider," Massey said.
The year 2020 also started on a good note for the actor with Meghna Gulzar-directed Chhapaak, for which he earned rave reviews in the role of a harrowed but well-meaning activist Amol.
"The kind of films I am getting, I feel good. But even today, I feel I haven't even started doing the kind of work I want to do... I want to consistently deliver good performances and build trust in my writer," he added.
Massey has a bunch of films including Pahwa's family drama Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi, Kadav's sci-fi film Cargo, comedy satire Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, which is up for its release this year.
He is also set to star in Ginny Weds Sunny and Haseen Dillruba.
With inputs from PTI
