After the surprise success of "12th Fail", there are more people who want to work with Vikrant Massey and more selfie requests from fans but the actor says his attitude towards work remains unchanged.
Massey portrayed the lead role of Manoj Kumar Sharma in the 2023 biographical drama about an IPS aspirant who overcomes many difficulties to achieve his dreams.
The actor, who started his journey in television before making his film debut with 2013's "Lootera", said the "newfound love" for his work that also includes critically-acclaimed films such as "A Death in the Gunj", "Chhapaak", the two-part "Haseen Dillruba" and series "Mirzapur" and "Criminal Justice", is more than welcome.
"There are a lot more people who want to work with me now. There are a few more people who want to click selfies with me now. I'm loving it. But I don't take adulation or rejection very seriously.
"... but I think I'm just sticking to my basics and doing what I've done all these years. So, neither am I too excited nor too upset about anything. I'm just taking each day as it comes,” Massey told PTI when asked whether there was any change in the way people perceived him post "12th Fail".
Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, "12th Fail" was mounted on a relatively low budget of Rs 20 crore and went on to earn close to Rs 70 crore at the box office, emerging a surprise hit of last year.
Massey's upcoming role in "Sector 36" is completely different from what he has done in his career as it will see him playing a serial killer preying on young children. The Netflix film seems loosely inspired by the 2006 Nithari killings.
Directed by Aditya Nimbalkar, the crime thriller revolves around Massey's serial killer and a police officer hot on his heels, played by Deepak Dobriyal.
As someone who started out with unconventional and supporting roles before coming into his own as a lead star, the 37-year-old believes the definition of a hero and heroism in films has undergone a change.
“There's been a definitive change. When I started acting, I prayed that something like this would happen and it's happening today. People are loving the characters more than the people who play them. That is a great proof of people wanting to relate to the characters they see,” he said.
“It's taken generations of actors to bring us to where we are. There was Balraj Sahni in the '50s-'60s. He worked hard for us to see this day. Naseer sahab (Naseeruddin Shah), the late Om Puri ji, Pankaj Kapur ji, Irrfan sahab... All these guys have paved the way for us, but I think there's still a lot more to change," he added.
The actor, however, said he does not want to restrict himself when it comes to "massy films" if the right project comes along.
"At this point in time, I am enjoying the kind of work I'm getting. I've also done a lot of this so-called massy stuff. '12th Fail', 'Mirzapur' and 'Haseen Dillruba' are mass hits. It totally depends on the way you see it. I definitely see them as a mass hit," he said.
Massey also wants to break his image of a serious actor.
"I don't want to bracket myself. I've always said this. If there is a good comedy film that comes my way, I would love to do it. I've tried it. Unfortunately, those films have not done as well. But certainly that would not stop me from going out there and experimenting again."
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