Eyeing variety, and a gong

Vicky in Kohrra; right) Suvinder Vicky with Manoj Bajpayee

Suvinder Vicky had more reasons than one to give his nod to Manoj Bajpayee's maiden production venture, Bhaiyya Ji. "To begin with, it posed a challenge," says the actor, who came into the spotlight after his work in Kohrra (2023) and CAT (2022). "After those shows fared well, I was beginning to get typecast. I had to turn down offers in which I was expected to play a cop again. But, in Bhaiyya Ji, my look and accent are different. That was another reason to do this project. I knew that our director, Apoorv Singh Karki, had previously made Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, and I was enticed by the possibility of getting an award. I love awards!"

Being in the company of Bajpayee, he was certain, would help him achieve his dream of lifting a gong. "He can teach you [how to pull off] your performance. He can put you on the path to winning a National Award. I was excited to share screen space with him. Manoj has been part of 100 films, but in each film, he has tried to do something different," he says, recalling how Bajpayee's act in Gangs of Wasseypur, particularly a scene in which he is seen "killing a guy with sharp ice", impacted him.

Even though Kohrra led to a fair share of stereotyping, Vicky doesn't dismiss the acclaim it brought him. "Before the success, no one would [bother] asking me questions about my approach to a scene. I had no choice or agency. Success has taken away the fear of losing out on opportunities. Now I have the luxury of choice - I can decide if I want to take up a project for monetary purposes, or if I am drawn to the story or the actors who will feature in it. People start behaving differently after [one becomes] successful. The first place it reflects in is your remuneration. "

In the film touted as Bajpayee's 100th, Vicky plays an Uttar Pradesh-based individual. "It is a world I understand. I had a diction coach at all times so that I could learn the nuances. This film helped me prove that I am more than my mould."