Dhaval Mehta (DNA; October 5, 2019)

Viineet Kumar made a foray into Bollywood in January last year with Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz. However, one cannot consider him a newbie because he has been around for almost two decades. The actor, though, emphasises that his innings only began in the first month of 2018. “For 14 years, I was writing Mukkabaaz and it released in my 18th year. So, I’ve been slogging it out for 19 years. But I only consider myself 18 months old in the industry. I’ve used all that experience in my acting,” says the actor-writer. Now, the tide has turned as he has Saand Ki Aankh (SKA), Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Aadhaar lined up. “Mukkabaaz is one film that has given me 10 years of my life back,” says Viineet, as he talks about the six releases in the next seven months.

Tell us about your character in Saand Ki Aankh?
I play the role of Dr Yashpal, who belongs to the profession of shooting. He returns to and wants to contribute to his village in some way. He knew that Daadis (Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar) had this talent and if they are trained well, something good could happen. If not for my character, Daadis couldn’t have won their first medal. So, it is a pivotal part. Also, I am happy the trailer has been appreciated.

But it also faced flak for casting Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar as older characters...
Honestly, I read the script and was only concerned with what I was doing in the film. Casting is not my domain. It is the prerogative of the filmmaker. Even in the past, we have seen many actors portray older characters and they have been appreciated. This issue can be good for debate and many people can have different takes on it.

How much does it help as an actor to work with different personalities like Anurag Kashyap, Akshay Kumar, Reema Kagti and Tushar Hiranandani?
As an actor, it was important for me to work with different directors. Most people were under the impression that I only work with Anurag sir. I’ve learnt a lot from him and become a better actor. I try to fulfil the expectation of my director. It is good to collaborate with different directors and I am also getting repeated for their next projects.

How was it filming for the Bard Of Blood?
It was great but the weather was difficult in Ladakh as the temperatures were in the range of -8 degrees and -12 degrees centigrade from 4 degrees. We have grown up watching the works of Shah Rukh (Khan) saab and learned so much from him. It was nice working with Emraan (Hashmi), Jaideep (Ahlawat), Sobhita (Dhulipala) and Kirti (Kulhari).

You have spoken about struggling to get all this work. How did you deal with it and did you have a backup plan?
During difficult times, my father used to say, ‘Haariyon ne himmat, bigadiyo ne Hari naam’, which means never give up and always believe in the power of God. And I was not even given the opportunity to show my talent then how could I give up? I believed whenever I'd get a chance, I’d prove my mettle.

How important is screen presence vis-a-vis character while choosing a project?
I’m not afraid to experiment with my roles. When I choose a film, I’m concerned with the script, director, producer and what I am doing in the project. A good director can make an average script magical as it is their medium. I come with all my preparation but follow the script and director. It’s the filmmaker’s prerogative how he utilises me.