Vicky Kaushal Says His Role In Debut Film Masaan Was A ‘Reality Check’: ‘Deepak’s Journey Taught Me…’
Vicky Kaushal Says His Role In Debut Film Masaan Was A ‘Reality Check’: ‘Deepak’s Journey Taught Me…’
Neeraj Ghaywan’s 2015 film Masaan marked Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal’s first leading role, and his performance in the film was praised by one and all. In the film, he played the role of Deepak Kumar, who hails from the Dom community, a Dalit caste tasked with funeral rites. Vicky has always been vocal about how this role will always hold a special place in his heart. In a recent interview, the actor recalled walking the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, watching the flames reduce bodies to ash. He said that for a boy who was raised in a secure environment in Mumbai, away from the harsh realities, that experience was a ‘reality check’.
In an interview with Esquire India, Vicky Kaushal recalled reflecting on the transient nature of life as he sat on the Varanasi ghat for days in order to get into the skin of his character. “Deepak’s journey taught me to consider where they’ve come from and what they’ve endured," he said. He further added, “For a boy born and raised in the safe, protective cocoon of a family and city like Mumbai, it was a reality check."
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Before this, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Vicky Kaushal said that Masaan opened many doors for him within the film industry. He said that he misses his character Deepak, as he found him to be very relatable. They shared similar experiences and perspectives on life, which made the journey of filming in Banaras with the team even more meaningful. Vicky said that he considers Deepak his favourite character from all the roles he has played.
In 2019, as Masaan clocked 4 years, Vicky Kaushal shared a post on Instagram, recalling the time he would sit at the Varanasi ghat. “For days before we started filming Masaan, I’d sit here for hours at a stretch, quietly watching bodies getting burnt one after the other… dark, fair, beautiful, ugly, rich, poor, fat, thin… All of them turning into the same colour of ash. Leaving behind, just their deeds, teaching me the most important lesson of my life. My job was to put life into Deepak, what eventually happened was the other way around," he wrote.
Masaan also starred Richa Chadha, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf and others. It released in theatres on 24th July 2015.
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