Opportunities to do diverse roles don’t come that often: 'Gullak' actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta

Mumbai, Aug 27 (PTI) A lot of hard work has gone into earning the trust of filmmakers and the audience, says actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta, who found his way into the hearts of fans with slice-of-life show “Gullak” and won praise for his gripping portrayal of a cop in “Mandala Murders”.

Gupta said it has been a game of patience to find good projects like “Mandala Murders”, which released on Netflix in July. Now, he is happy that he was able to show his range as an actor in both comedy and drama.

"I was dreaming about this phase and finally I'm living it, where the work that you do gets appreciated. It feels beautiful and a lot of hard work has gone behind this. I've always believed in choosing the right work, which is why I don't do much work.

"For instance, I waited a lot to get something like ‘Mandala Murders’ where I can show that I can do both drama and comedy. But the opportunities to do something different won't come that often,” the actor told PTI in an interview.

The Vaani Kapoor-fronted series revolves around a chilling conspiracy of ritualistic killings tied to a centuries-old secret society. Gupta's cop and Kapoor's investigative officer work together to crack the case.

Gupta, who hails from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, said he has always tried to do something different because "that's where the fun is and that's where you learn". "Sometimes, you think that you're not making money, people aren't watching, you've been out of the industry for so many years, people forget but then it’s okay. But then something like 'Mandala' will come and it will change (things),” the actor, who portrays Vikram Singh in the show, said.

After appearing in more than half a dozen short films, Gupta made his debut in Bollywood with a supporting role in the Sonakshi Sinha-starrer “Noor” (2017). He later appeared in a small role in Prime Video show “Inside Edge” and followed it up with appearances in web series "Good Bad Girl" and "Mai".

But it was"Gullak" that made him a household name as Annu Bhaiya. In the show, he plays the role of the resourceful elder son of the Mishra family at the centre of the story.

Next on Gupta's wish list are filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Anurag Kashyap.

"I would like to work with Imtiaz sir on a musical romantic film, like ‘Tamasha’, ‘Rockstar’, I feel like there's so much in me, the romance part. I want to explore my negative side too. I want to work with Vikram sir, Anurag sir, and Amrit (Raj Gupta), who's directed ‘Gullak’,” he said.

When he is not acting, Gupta pens poems about his experiences. He finds it enriching as he believes it is an outlet to express himself creatively.

“I write every night, I love it, and enjoy my solitude where I'm writing about an observation, a thought. If my heart is broken, or something has happened, I write it.

If I'm not writing anything for like a month or 15 days, I feel that urge to write.

"If I end up writing poetry, I feel like I've done my job. Poetry makes me vulnerable, and it makes me understand the energies. So, it helps me a lot in different ways,” he said. PTI KKP BK BK RB RB