Actor Vineet Kumar Singh on what kept him going in his 18 years of struggle before success in Bollywood
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; April 8, 2018)

The 38-year-old actor from Varanasi, who found success with Mukkabaaz, was so keen on the role of a boxer that he left everything and went to train in mixed martial arts (MMA) for two years before taking on the role in Anurag Kashyap’s film. Here, Vineet Kumar Singh tells us how boxing as a sport helped him rethink his failures, and prepared him for success.

Did the acting bug hit you early?
I was hardly 8. The only audience I had for my furtive performances were my younger brother and sister. They enjoyed every act. But the moment everyone at home came to know I wanted to join NSD, all hell broke loose. It was an earth-shattering moment, an ajooba (miracle) for my family because everyone was either into academics or sports. Acting was never a ‘real’ profession for a typical middle-class family like ours. I had to change my tactics and be smart about my options to realise my dream.

Your big break, Pitaah , bombed at the B.O.
That was a rude awakening. I had thought after the release of the film, my name would be splashed all across TV channels, producers would line up at my doorstep. I thought “Main toh hero ban gaya!” But boom! The movie came and went, I was hardly noticed.

How did you cope?
My elder sister, a professor in Banaras Hindu University, and I, secretly broke FDs that belonged to my siblings. I would take up any scene, any role that came my way. I would play a ghost, cop or a rag picker in DD afternoon serials. But going home was never an option.

You took your role of playing a boxer rather seriously...
I am a method actor. When Anurag Kashyap asked me to become a boxer; I packed my bags and left for Patiala. There was a year of rigorous training which included four schedules daily. The first one started at 5 am, then there was a gym session mid noon. The next boxing session was at 5 pm followed by one hour of swimming. I felt dead when I hit the sack.

How was it dealing with other boxers during the training?
The others had no idea I was an actor. They thought I was a crazy old man who suddenly wanted to bear all the blows for some stupid reason. After every injury, they were certain I would return to wherever I had come from.

Did boxing help you personally?
There is a popular saying in the sports world – anyone who is sure about their stamina needs to step into a boxing ring for 2 minutes. If you come out unscathed (mentally), you are a winner. Boxing actually makes you a calmer person too. Most of your angst, whining will find a way out with the punches and blows. I also learnt the importance of defending. Life isn’t all about attack. Sometimes, you have to be prepared to defend yourself too.