Vikrant Massey stands as the best and bravest actor of his generation, unafraid to dive into raw, unpolished human stories that resonate deeply. As a National Award winner, his performance in 12th Fail remains one of the most heartfelt tales in recent cinema, a gripping saga of resilience that captured hearts nationwide and earned him the Best Actor award at the 71st National Film Awards.
Massey excels at bringing real-life characters to life on screen, infusing them with grounded authenticity. From the determined IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma in 12th Fail to the serial killer in Sector 36 and the journalist in The Sabarmati Report, his portrayals feel lived-in and relatable. When asked how he crafts such real, authentic roles and the preparation behind them, Massey shares his approach.
"I think it's a balance of a lot of things coming together," he explains. "Firstly, I don't think there is one method per se. You know, what I did in 12th Fail, I can't do that in Sector 36. My approach cannot be the same because they are people from different backgrounds, different worlds. Their world view is completely different. There is a very conscious effort to be authentic. But when I say to be authentic, the idea is not to stand out, but the idea is rather to blend in. Because eventually, it is the common man that I aspire to represent through the stories that I am saying. Whether it is a Manoj Kumar Sharma, or whether it is a Prem Singh, or whether it is what I did in Sabarmati. And these are all normal people. The same people that we see in our everyday life. And also, I think because I am not a trained actor, I am not a theatre actor, so there is no method. Everything that I have acquired over these years is self-taught. It's through sheer observation, through my travels, through my interactions with people, through the books I read, through the movies I watch. So, I think it's an amalgamation of all these things coming together. But the characters that I play in front of the camera - I really want my audiences to see a bit of themselves in the parts that I play. There are different ways of storytelling. There is no right or wrong here. But what suits me is realism."
For Vikrant, 12th Fail marked more than a milestone, it embodied his philosophy of realism, blending into the common man's world so audiences see themselves on screen. This slow-burning triumph reaffirmed his faith in earnest storytelling, cementing his place as one of the most deeply admired performers of his generation.