Vikrant Massey: the industry has come a long way from television to movies. While today, he has movies like ’12th Fail’, ‘The Sabarmati Report’ and web-shows like ‘Mirzapur’ in his body of work, Massey’s journey has seen its share of struggles. The actor recently recalled his early days and revealed that he had a humble beginning cleaning coffee tables as a teenager in Mumbai. During the interaction, Vikrant spoke about how financial security has been a priority since childhood and revealed that buying his first home fulfilled one of his mother’s lifelong dreams. “Strength is something that is very important to us. I come from a regular middle-class family. I started working at the age of 16, and no well-mannered 16-year-old boy can actually go out of the comfort of their home and earn money, or maybe get a job or clean tables in a coffee shop,” he said in an interview with FLO Bangalore Official. He continued, “One of the reasons why I had to do that was to support my own education, to support my family financially. And again, I’m happy, I’m very grateful that life took that trajectory because, like I said, I wouldn’t be what I am. And when I bought my first small house at the age of 24, I marked an important box with my mother what you want to happen,'”The actor also shared how difficult it was to explain his responsibilities to friends while growing up. Instead of joining them on the playground, he goes to work, often uncomfortable revealing why. “When I go out of my house, I see my friends playing on the ground. And I have no explanation. They say, ‘Where are you going?’ And I said, ‘I’m going somewhere.’ And they say, ‘Come on, let’s play cricket or football.And you really don’t have an answer because, at a young age, you’re too ashamed to tell your friends, or the world, that you’re going there to make money because you have to support your family.”Reflecting on his formative years, Vikrant says that hardships shaped his personality and forced him to mature earlier than most children. “And that’s when, at that young age, you start building your defense mechanisms, your barriers, and a lot of pretense too, right? It was painful then. But, like I said, I wouldn’t change a minute or a day. There are days when you are at home for months, and there are days when you work, like I said, 35 days a month. But I think, yeah, they’re all character-building experiences.Vikrant added that life is almost unbelievable now. Having once struggled to pay his college fees, he and his wife are now deciding which of the top schools in the country is best for their son. “I started working to pay my college fees, my train pass, my ID, and other things. But now, my wife and I are probably sifting through school brochures from some of the best schools in the country. And that is the journey. It seems surreal. Shall we send him to Ambani or to Birla? That’s where we are now, and God is merciful.”For those who don’t know, Vikrant’s first income came while he was still studying at St. Anthony’s High School in Versova. He was selected by the New Zealand health advisory board to be featured in a catalog and was paid Rs 200 for the assignment. A few years later, while in Class 10, she joined Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe as a contemporary dancer during her summer break, marking her first regular paid job. At the same time, he also worked in a cafe in Versova.From cleaning tables in a coffee shop, Vikrant eventually went on to share the Best Actor National Award: with: Shah Rukh Khan. While Vikrant won it for ’12th Fail’, SRK bagged it for ‘Jawan’.
