A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
By Murtaza Ali Khan
By Murtaza Ali Khan
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| Vicky Kaushal as: 1. Major Vihaan Singh Shergill in Uri. Vicky Sandhu in Marmarziyaan. Deepak in Masaan |
Son of a well-respected stunt director Shyam Kaushal, Vicky Kaushal has quickly grown in ranks to become the next big star in Bollywood. Starting his career assisting Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur, he quickly grabbed everybody’s attention with his first major role that came in Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan, which screened in Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, winning two awards. Since then he has never looked back. Most recently he starred in Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster film Uri: The Surgical Strike which will soon be having its world digital premiere on ZEE5 on 19th March. Dhar’s hard-hitting war drama inspired by the Indian Army’s surgical strike against the terror camps in Pakistan has all the right ingredients. There is tension, drama, thrill, and adrenaline pumping action. Essaying the role of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, Vicky Kaushal leads from the front. Uri has not only proven to be the biggest hit of his career but it also features one of his best performances yet. There are scenes where his eyes do all the talking. In the scenes when he is engaged in combat the intensity on his face tell is all. And his “How’s the Josh?” has already become an anthem of sorts.
Coming back to Vicky Kaushal’s early beginnings in cinema, before starring in Masaan, Kaushal played a minor role in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. Post Masaan, he played a very interesting role in Mozez Singh’s Zubaan which was the opening film at the 20th Busan International Film Festival. The film may have failed to create buzz at the box-office but Kaushal’s performance ended up winning everyone’s heart. Kaushal subsequently starred in Anurag Kashyap’s psychological thriller Raman Raghav 2.0 alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. While Siddiqui’s performance is what the film revolves around, Kaushal too shows flashes of brilliance in the role of a corrupt cop. His intense performance may remind some of Denzel Washington from Training Day. Also, his chemistry with Sobhita Dhulipala in the movie is superb and it touches a high in the song ‘Qatl-E-Aam’. What Kaushal succeeds in bringing to the fore with his performance is something very unique. The layered performance is a great example of his remarkable range as an actor. Nawazuddin's character in the film seems to suffer from some form of acute mental illness. It is inspired by a real life character named Raman Raghav from the 1960s. He was suffering from a condition called chronic paranoid schizophrenia which got worse and worse. He was unable to understand that his actions were contrary to law. Sadly, a lot of the times the films fail to address the character from the clinical point of view. Mental issues certainly deserve a more introspective treatment than the melodramatic approach we get to see most of the time. If you know someone who is in need of counseling then you can really make a difference by referring him/her to BetterHelp.com.
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| Vicky Kaushal with Angira Dhar in Love Per Square Foot |
In his next movie, which was India’s first Netflix Original film, Love Per Square Foot, Vicky Kaushal plays a working man who wants to own a house in Mumbai. Kaushal, who is known for playing intense characters, is here seen in a completely different avatar. While this may not feature amongst his top 5 performances, he certainly looks very convincing. Also, his chemistry with the female lead Angira Dhar is very good. Again in Raazi, Vicky Kaushal manages to leave a strong impression in the relatively small role of Alia's husband. In many ways, the role got him more attention that he had hitherto received. While Raazi is undeniably Alia’s film, Kaushal’s restrained yet brilliant performance cannot be denied. Making his way back to Netflix with Lust Stories, Kaushal manages to make most of what he gets offered.
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| Vicky Kaushal with Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju |
But it is in Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju, Vicky Kaushal finally shows his true acting genius. Playing Sanjay Dutt’s US-based Gujarati friend, Kaushal never hits a wrong note. He makes us laugh and he makes us cry and in equal proportions, even to the extent of overshadowing Ranbir Kapoor’s stellar portrayal of Sanjay Dutt. Kaushal’s chemistry with Dutt in the film is what makes it so memorable. Given it is a very emotional film Kaushal at crucial junctures brings the much-needed respite with his great comic timing and inimitable Gujarati accent.
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| Vicky Kaushal with Kiara Advani in Lust Stories |
Continuing to take his performance up by notches, in his next release Manmarziyaan, a love triangle directed by Anurag Kashyap, Vicky Kaushal yet again is the scene-stealer. His frenzied romance with Taapsee Pannu is very much the movie's USP. Despite his usual high acting standards Kaushal again manages to surpass expectations with a highly energetic performance. In fact, whenever he is not around as the focus shifts to other characters the film invariably dips in intensity.
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| Vicky Kaushal with Alia Bhatt in Raazi |
At 30, looking back at his career, Vicky Kaushal has already managed to carve a niche for himself as a new age star in Bollywood. The grand success of Uri and Sanju has provided him with just the right kind of push. He can only climb higher from here, which seems to be the case. According to reports, Kaushal is set to play Aurangzeb in Karan Johar’s upcoming period drama Takht which will star Ranveer Singh as Dara Shikoh. Now we all know the history between those two warring sons of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and given what Kaushal has offered in his recent roles one can expect him to deliver a chilling performance as Aurangzeb. So, watch out for this rising star in the coming years!
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