EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! Vishal Vashishtha: I Believe Actors Are Striving To Play Grey Characters Today

'When You Have A Certain Number Of People Looking Up To You, You Don't Want To Let Them Down And That's A Huge Responsibility'

Q. Firstly, a huge congratulations to you. Your latest web series, Ghar Waapsi has been receiving a lot of love and appreciation from every nook and corner. Has the feeling sunk in yet?

A. It's very overwhelming for sure. Sometimes, when we receive a lot of appreciation, we don't know how to deal with it. It's unfortunate that we are so receptive of hate, anger, violence and unpleasant things that we have forgotten how to take appreciation (laughs). For example, if you compliment someone that, 'Hey man, you are looking nice today. You are a wonderful person.' The other person would still keep thinking about how to react. It's that kind of a feeling, but it also feels great that the show is getting appreciated for its content.

This is the first time when I have promoted a show on a personal level. I activated all my family Whatsapp groups which were dead. I connected with my school friends and actor friends, and told them to watch the show. I generally don't do all these things. I don't watch my own shows especially with people around me.

I have been in the industry now for eight-nine years and this is the first time when I really connected with something that I did. We shot the show for over two months. You know that for the longest time, I have been associated with television. Those were long-term projects where I had no idea about their beginning and the climax. As actors, we would never know how our characters would eventually pan out and where the story would end.

However when I did Ghar Waapsi, I knew my character arc and the entire story. I wanted people to know because I was so sure of it. But most importantly, this was a story which needed to be out there.

I feel there's a lot of content on OTT today which isn't required. That's my personal opinion. These content are solely there for entertainment purpose. Even the shows which I did, their purpose was to entertain people. There are a lot of people who like one kind of show and dislike another. However when it came to Ghar Waapsi, I felt that it was important for people to watch it. It's a show made from the heart. It is something which needs to be spoken about.

Q. Speaking about the show, it resonates with a lot of millennials who live away from home. It talks about the simple joys that you might sometimes miss out in pursuit of something lucrative. On the personal front, you hail from Kolkata and came to Mumbai to pursue your acting dreams. You have had your share of ups and downs. Did those experiences helped you in bringing out those emotions on screen?

A. Yes, it did. The good thing is that when you are away from home, you become a little more responsible. You might be careless when you are at home. But when you have a certain number of people looking up to you, you don't want to let them down and that's a big responsibility. So, you take extra efforts. You become extra cautious about your actions and decisions. When you start doing these things yourself, there's a growth in your personality. You know when to be serious and when to be easy-going. So, you have a different take on life. That's not a joke and it should be taken seriously.

These things might sometimes create conflicts when you go back to your parents or elder siblings. They think that you are still a kid which irritates you. However down the line, parents do understand that you have grown up. This happened with my own parents as well. So, somewhere I connected with the story even more.

'People Think That Any Charismatic Person Who Appears On Screen Can Act; That's Not True'

Q. Ghar Waapsi talks about the aspect of self discovery. What have you discovered about yourself over the years?

A. I came in as a guy who had no training or whatsoever in acting. I just loved the reality created on screen. It was something magical. When I started watching Hollywood films like Scarface, The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather, I loved them. That's why I opted for acting. I used to perform on stage during my school and college days. So, I always had that acting bug in me. Over the years, I have discovered that I have started falling in love with the craft of acting. You need to prepare and educate yourself in this field.

When it comes to acting, people think that any charismatic person who appears on screen can act, but that's not true. Maybe that charismatic personality will do wonders while he is just being himself which is also a very good skill. But as an actor, you have to play different characters. That's my goal. There are so many lives out there in the world. What is more important is that I learn a little bit of empathy. I am still a long way from that. I need to be honest and just be present. Just be on the sets and be with the script. And that's what I did with Ghar Waapsi.

I used to read the script on and off because I knew that I had to put in a little more effort than other people as I am still going through that the learning process and was coming from the world of television. That was going unknowingly in my head that a pattern could be built. I also told Ruchir (the director) that I will remain a little quiet because I have to put in extra efforts (laughs). But we ended up interacting so much on the sets that it felt like a family and that made it even more easier. This was also a revelation for me that if you get personal, then things might flow easily.

Q. Vishal, you had once said in an interview that you love acting so much that you can't think of taking creative breaks. But we all know that acting is an uncertain profession. There are days when there is a lot of work flowing in and then, there are some days when there isn't much of it. As somebody who loves to be on his feet all the time, how do you sail through the latter scenario?

A. Things have changed. I was very immature at that time when I made that statement. Now, I have realised that you need time for creativity. If you are God-gifted then it's fine. But, you need time to be creative and bring out something very special that people can connect to. It takes time to sit and think about what people are feeling or what they want to see. So, I am pro when it comes to taking creative breaks.

I have taken creative breaks in the past one year. I have made conscious decisions which I am very happy about. I want to have a certain lifestyle now. I have discovered that a change in lifestyle can bring a change in your professional and personal life in a very good way. I have already initiated that and I am having the time of my life.

'I Feel Like I Had Taken All Those Moments Very Lightly'

Q. So far, you have had a very interesting journey. You started your career with a youth-based show. You got to play a quintessential hero on screen, you did a social drama. You even dabbled with comedy and played a negative role. In between, you also squeezed in a supernatural show. Is that a very conscious decision from your end to pick up roles that really challenge you as an actor in order to surprise the audience every time you appear on screen?

A. I feel that I had taken all those moments very lightly (laughs). I had taken a creative break in around 2019. It was a good six-eight month break where I didn't do anything. I remember that very well because my sister got married that year. At that time, I actually went back to the shows that I did.

There are a few fan-clubs of mine on Instagram with whom I have proper interactions. They give me some wonderful insights about my work. They had told me that, 'Vishal, these are your roles and they have never been the same.' And I actually sat and thought about it. l say that I took these moments lightly because during that period, I was in a grind where I was like, I don't want to take any creative break. But, the passion was there.

I am grateful that I have done some six-seven shows and they were all different from each other. Finally, Ghar Waapsi came my way which was so real and honest. This was actually the break which I needed to just come out once and say that I have also got this with me (laughs).

Q. A quick look at your Instagram handle shows that you are very fond of road trips. I recalled Imtiaz Ali once mentioning in an interview that travelling is his co-storyteller in filmmaking and that it helps him to narrating things in a certain way. In a similar way, does your love for travelling also help you in your process as an actor?

A. I don't associate it with acting. I would say that I can't do that consciously. If I start thinking that I would go to the mountains and come back with some dangerous inspiration to play a character on screen then that doesn't work for me.

For me, travelling is a break. My wife and I love going on vacations, treks and road trips. That's more of a time which we want to spend with each other. Experiences matter a lot for me. I hail from a middle-class Marwari family where everything is in a shell. There's a line in Ghar Waapsi which says, 'Hum khaanche mein jeeti hain.' It's exactly like that. It's true because 90% of middle-class Indian families live like that where experiences ain't given much importance. That's what I crave for.

I believe that experiences are very enriching and that they seep in someway in your work and your relationships unconsciously. Sometimes you recall these moments and instantly connect with the story thinking that you live them.

'I Don't Have A Grasp Of How People Get So Attached To A Character On A TV Show'

Q. You have dabbled with both positive and negative characters when it comes to the small screen. Speaking about television, it has still has a long way to go when it comes to grey characters. A character which is supposed to be grey, eventually over a number of episodes, gets starkly defined by the makers. They will either make it a totally negative character or whitewash it for acceptance by the audience. There is no in-between. Is it because the ITV audience is less receptive to grey characters or do you feel it's because the actor get apprehensive about it?

A. I believe that all actors today are striving to play grey characters because that's how we all are in real life. Sometimes, we end doing selfish things or saying something hurtful. But, when it comes to television, I feel that sometimes the audience gets too personal with the characters.

Wherever I have gone, I have been addressed as Baldev, Sagar or Kanhaiya. Sometimes they get very judgemental and are like, "Tumse toh humne pyaar kiya tha aur yeh kya kar diya tumhe." (laughs). Honestly, I don't have a grasp of it as to how people get so attached to a character in a TV show and they live them.

Maybe because they spend a profound amount of time with them...That's why people are like, "Jo bhi dikhao accha hi dikhao." The concept of instant gratification is very prevalent on television.

Q. Is instant gratification a good or bad thing, according to you?

A. Speaking about instant gratification, it's a bit of a luxury and who doesn't mind that. Like me and my partner have a very simple lifestyle. But, we crave for luxuries at certain times. (laughs). Then, we are like, 'Yeh thoda jyada ho gaya.' But now, we take it like, 'Okay, we are privileged but we have earned it.'

Q. Do you easily detach from the characters that you play on screen? Is it more like once the camera switches off, you are back to being Vishal?

A. That's a bit difficult to answer because I am still trying to figure out the on-off process. Right now, I am learning the craft of acting. Of course, switching on and off happens because that's just the character that you are playing and it's not the reality.

But sometimes for example, say when you have a character like Shekhar (Ghar Waapsi), then it gets personal. You don't need to switch off because a few instances are enough to define that for you. If you relate to one or two scenes then you don't have to work hard on it. I don't really have to struggle to get into the shoes.

Q. There are some actors who carry their characters home and stay in them until they finish shooting the project and then there are a few who like to keep it strictly to the sets? Which one do you belong to?

A. I haven't played such a character yet where I need to dive so deeply into it that I won't be able to leave it. But, if I get offered such a demanding role which is completely not me at all, then maybe I would just try and be in that character or isolate myself for a couple of months to just be with myself, come back home and create that entire reality before getting back on the sets. Until now, that hasn't happened yet.

But I would still like to keep myself because I am also on the path where I need to know myself, my characteristics, my features, likes and dislikes which I don't want to lose. It's a slippery slope. The craft of acting is very delicate and it takes years to learn it. Atul Sir (Atul Srivastava) and Vibha Mam (Vibha Chhibber) have been in this craft for 20-25 years and they say that they are still learning. So, I would definitely want to hold myself strongly, only then I will be able to portray the characters effectively.

'You Don't Need To Share Posts On Social Media To Stay Relevant'

Q. You choose to stay away from the showsha of the industry. Generally, it's assumed that actors need to be very active on social media to stay relevant and get work. In fact, in the past, there have been some of them who claimed that producers check the social media following an actor enjoys before casting them in shows. How do you look at all these things and does that bother you?

A. I won't be completely honest if I say no. It did bother me. Social media is a complicated world. I believe you don't need to share posts on social media everyday to stay relevant. But, I have also realised that it's a very good platform for you to promote yourself.

I did this kind of introspection with myself because I was seeing so many of my fellow actors being big influencers. I see that this is what they think and they post it because they believe in it. Even if they are launching any product, maybe they won't be using them, but they think it's good. Maybe some are doing it for the money. People are doing a sh*t lot of crap for money. They are just selling a tiny little product. I think that's fair and I don't think that should be judged at all.

I asked myself that they are doing this, what are you doing. I asked myself what I believed in and want to post on social media, whether it's about a book, dance or shows, and I decided to work on it. Recently, in the past one month, I have started putting little bits; maybe just a guitar strumming video or a movie that I liked or something that I read. Right now, you will just see posts on Ghar Waapsi from me. (laughs).

Social media is a very useful platform but again, there are multiple things associated with it. One can get insecure if he/she sees someone else's followers increasing or posts getting more engagement. Sometimes, you can get delusional which is not a pleasant feeling for somebody who is actually trying to get out of that rut.