For many people, success often comes after immense struggle, and that is perhaps the way of life. Many Bollywood personas whom the audience now sees as the pinnacle of success have also had their share of struggles. Over the years, many actors and actresses have opened up about what their struggling days looked like, and now, very recently, Vikrant Massey too shared bits about a very difficult phase in his life. He mentioned how he juggled two jobs to keep his education going and survived on very little to eat.
The '12th Fail' actor, in an interview with Republic World, revealed that he had to start working from the very tender age of 16 because he had financial constraints. He mentioned that the first time he faced the camera was also around the same time, driven clearly by monetary reasons.
Massey said, "I was 16 when I faced the camera for the first time; I still remember the date, it was December 19, 2024. Prior to that, I was working as a barista. I did that job because I had to support my own education. I am not going to get into that sob story or my struggle. I used to also work as an assistant instructor in Shiamak Davar's troupe and at that restaurant in Mumbai... I was just 16 when I was changing four local trains everyday, working 16-hour days and often living off only Parle-G and water to survive. No one does it of their own accord, definitely not a young boy. I did because I had to."
The actor mentioned that the first show he worked on never saw the light of day, despite the fact that he worked on it for eight long months.
Vikrant went on to mention, "Something happened between the broadcasters and the producers and it was never shown. I was absolutely crushed. I was waiting for it and half the money due to me was unpaid. It eventually ended up becoming a pilot. I remember it was eventually telecast years later at 2 am on Star Plus as it was a Star property. There are so many things that happen which actors actually don't know as they are the last people to come on board. The producer was kind enough. She knew that I had quit a stable job and also the financial situation that I was in. They offered me a job in the production office."
In terms of work, Vikrant, a while back, won the prestigious 71st National Film Award for his role in 12th Fail, sharing the award with Shah Rukh Khan. After many controversies surrounding his early retirement from acting, he will soon be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's O Romeo, which also stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri.
