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Vikrant Massey has come a long way in the industry from television to movies. While today, he's got movies like '12th Fail', 'The Sabarmati Report' and web-shows like 'Mirzapur' to his body of work, Massey's journey has seen its share of struggles.
The actor recently recalled his early days and revealed that he had a humble beginning as he cleaned coffee tables as a teenager in Mumbai. During the interaction, Vikrant spoke about how financial security became a priority from a young age and revealed that buying his first house fulfilled one of his mother's lifelong wishes. “Stability was something that was very important to us. I come from a very regular middle-class family.
I started working at the age of 16, and no sane 16-year-old boy would actually venture out of the comfort of their home and make money, or probably take up a job or clean tables at a coffee shop," he said in an interview with FLO Bangalore Official.
He continued, “One of the reasons why I had to do that was to support my own education, to support my family financially. And yet again, I’m glad, I’m so grateful that life took that trajectory because, as I said, I would not have been what I am.
And when I bought my first small little house at 24, I ticked that one important box in my mother’s wish list that, ‘No matter what happens, at least you have a home to come back to.'”The actor also shared how difficult it was to explain his responsibilities to friends while growing up. Instead of joining them on the playground, he would head off to work, often feeling uncomfortable revealing why. “When I would step out of my home, I would see my friends playing in the ground.
And I had no explanation. They’d be like, ‘Where are you going?’ And I’d be like, ‘I’m going somewhere.’ And they’d say, ‘Come on, let’s play cricket or football.
’ And you actually have no answer because, at that young age, you’re also embarrassed to tell your friends, or the world, that you’re actually going out there to make money because you have to support your family.”Reflecting on those formative years, Vikrant said the hardships shaped his personality and forced him to mature far earlier than most children.
“And that is when, at that young age, you start building your defence mechanisms, your barriers, and a lot of pretence also, right? It used to hurt back then. But, like I’m saying, I wouldn’t change a moment or a day. Watching my friends play, watching them go out for movies, or even celebrating Diwali used to be a very big thing for me because we don’t have a Monday-to-Saturday job.
There are days when you’re home for months, and there are days when you’re working, like I said, 35 days a month.
But I think, yeah, they’re all character-building experiences.”Vikrant added that life feels almost unbelievable today. Having once struggled to afford his college expenses, he and his wife are now deciding which of the country's top schools would be best for their son. “I started working to pay for my college fees, my train pass, my ID, and a few other things. But today, my wife and I are probably sifting through school brochures from some of the best schools in the country.
And that’s the journey.
It kind of feels surreal. Should we send him to Ambani or to Birla? That’s where we are today, and God’s been kind.”For those not in the know, Vikrant's first earnings came while he was still studying at St. Anthony's High School in Versova. He was selected by a New Zealand health advisory board to feature in a catalogue and was paid Rs 200 for the assignment. A few years later, while in Class 10, he joined Shiamak Davar's dance troupe as a contemporary dancer during his summer break, marking his first regular salaried job. Around the same period, he also worked at a café in Versova.From cleaning tables at a coffee shop, Vikrant eventually went on to share the Best Actor National Award with Shah Rukh Khan. While Vikrant won it for '12th Fail', SRK got it for 'Jawan'.
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