Actor Vibhore Mayank’s second feature film, Bayaan, has been making waves at the international film festival circuit. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as well as the Busan Film Festival.

The actor portrays a local cop with a secret agenda, assisting actor Huma Qureshi’s character in a case: “Despite being a very rooted story, the film’s narrative has a global relevance. It explores how people follow a cult in a small place; on a larger scale, it’s about blind following.”

The actor, who moved to Mumbai from Lucknow in 2011, says that it wasn’t possible for a newcomer like him to “strategise” such a career move. “I have waited for 14 years for a film to travel to prestigious festivals and do houseful shows. The results are showing now,” shares the actor who made his lead debut in Himanshu Malik directorial Chitrakut (2022).

Mayank adds, “I debuted as a lead, but it was a small independent film that wasn’t seen widely. I realized it’s crucial to be part of a project that has established actors and an audience. After a two-year wait, I got this film, and it’s gaining acclaim even before its release... I am already working with Himanshu for his second film, and two more offers are at the discussion level. I finally have the confidence that I will get more work.”

This journey wasn’t easy and Mayank faced his fair share of challenges. “From small roles to working as a dubbing artiste, in casting, and assisting on projects, I kept moving forward until I got my break,” he recounts, adding, “Many times, I thought it was taking too long and wondered when my moment would come, but the thought of quitting never once crossed my mind. Practicing art is a luxury, and you have to earn it. So, I kept working, learning, and earning to sustain myself for the right chance. All of this is the culmination of everything, but it is just the start of a new journey.”

When Himanshu Malik decided to shift gears from being an actor to a director, he didn’t know that it would turn out to be the biggest battle of his life. Malik, who gained recognition as an actor with the 2001 movie Tum Bin, made his directorial debut with Chitrakut earlier this year. He shares, “I was 21 years old when I started as a model, and then as an actor. I didn’t even know anything about the industry when I started out. I had that typical, what we call ‘pop success’ in Bollywood. But (during the transition), the prejudice was huge.”

Ask him what makes him say that, and he elaborates, “There were people who said, ‘Why are you making the film? What’s the point? Don’t do this.’ They were like, ‘You look good, just lose weight, act more and have a good time’.”

He goes on, “For me to convince people to see Chitrakut was so difficult in the early stages of making the movie. After that, we had a whole team backing it, but the start was rough.”

The 49-year-old, who also appeared in projects such as Jungle (2000), Khwahish (2003) and Rog (2005), says all these years he “kept thinking that filmmaking is something” that he “surely wanted to do”. For his directorial debut, he picked a story based on the journey of change through the lives of five people as they go on a quest to find love and companionship. He is now determined to continue his own journey as a director instead of an actor.

“I just want to make films now. I don’t think I will act anymore. But let’s see what happens,” he ends.