Vikrant Massey's journey: How this 'outsider' made it big in Bollywood

Vikrant Massey's latest film Ginny Weds Sunny is all set to release on Netflix on October 9, 2020. From starting off as a dancer in ace choreographer Shiamak Davar's dance academy to steadily becoming one of the most versatile actors of the industry, Vikrant has come a long way. A look at his journey in pictures.

Updated On: 2020-01-08 12:00 PM IST

Lesser-known facts of Vikrant Massey you might not know

Vikrant Massey, born on April 3, 1987, grew up in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The paternal side of Vikrant's family follows Christianity. Bombay boy Massey went to St. Anthony's High School in Versova and later went to Bandra's R. D. National College of Arts & Science. (All photos/Vikrant Massey's official Instagram account)

Vikrant Massey started off as a dancer in Shiamak Davar's troupe. At age 20, Vikrant did his first TV show, Dharam Veer (2007), on NDTV Imagine.

In picture: Vikrant with his Chhapaak director Meghna Gulzar and Deepika Padukone.

Acting is the only thing he ever wanted to do, even when he was seven. "I grew up in Versova. I used to see Pankaj (Kapur) and Shahid Kapoor, and also Naseer Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah), around, and I knew I wanted to be like them. My grandfather was a theatre actor in Shimla, where I come from, and though it skipped a generation, the acting gene remained," he told mid-day in a candid conversation in 2017.

In picture: Vikrant Massey on the sets of Balika Vadhu.

But even before Dharam Veer, Vikrant had played a small role in Disney Channel India's Dhoom Machaao Dhoom, a show that gave break to his other co-stars Sriti Jha, Kinshuk Mahajan, Maanvi Gagroo, Toral Rasputra and Jay Bhanushali, who too are now one of the most popular actors of the film and television industry.

After Dharam Veer, Vikrant Massey followed it up with major roles like Balika Vadhu, Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo and Qubool Hai.

Then, movies came calling with 2013's Lootera, which starred Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha as the lead characters. "I knew that I had to work with Vikramaditya Motwane. I don't think my being on TV made me less desirable. People said, I would get overexposed, but it's all about getting noticed for your work. I actually did Qubool Hai after Lootera, and then Zoya Akhtar called for Dil Dhadkane Do. So, it all worked out."

In picture: Vikrant Massey's TV commercial with Alia Bhatt. The duo in 2016 replaced Sidharth Malhotra and Yami Gautam as the new face of an ice cream brand.

In 2017, Vikrant Massey was seen in as many as three films. He was everywhere, to put it bluntly. In picture: Vikrant Massey with his Mirzapur co-star Ali Fazal.

Vikrant also played an important role in Half-Girlfriend, which starred Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, (some reviews said he was the only good thing about the movie). He then raked in critical acclaim for Konkana Sen-Sharma's directorial debut, A Death In The Gunj. His next release of the year was the controversial Lipstick Under My Burkha.

In picture: Vikrant Massey on the sets of web-series Criminal Justice.

On the web-show front, Vikrant Massey featured in series such as Mirzapur, Broken But Beautiful, Made In Heaven, Criminal Justice and Broken But Beautiful - Season 2.

In picture: Vikrant Massey with his fiance-actress Sheetal Thakur.

With shows like Mirzapur and Criminal Justice on his resume, Vikrant slowly made a place for himself in showbiz.

The recent spate of successes surely would be making him feel more bankable as an actor. But, he doesn't completely agree with this. Said Vikrant, "It's too soon to say whether I can headline shows. I have a long way to go to be worth people's love and money. But, I don't see myself as someone who is hired to deliver on numbers. I am hired to deliver great performance. And I believe that good products will translate into numbers."

Vikrant Massey continued to impress the audience with his performances in films such as Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare and Cargo.

He is, now, all geared up for the digital release of his film Ginny Weds Sunny, where he features opposite Yami Gautam. It won't be wrong to say that the leading parts are coming his way more frequently now. Even as he has Haseen Dillruba and 14 Phere in the pipeline, Massey was announced as the leading man of Santosh Sivan's remake of the Tamil hit, Maanagaram (2017).

Talking about his love life, Vikrant Massey got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Sheetal Thakur in December 2019. The couple is ready to take the plunge and get hitched anytime soon.

He's one of those "outsiders" who made it big in Bollywood and it's commendable! Here's wishing Vikrant good luck for his future projects and especially Ginny Weds Sunny!

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