All spotlight is on Kannada actor Vikas Vasishta, who plays the lead in writer and debutant director Praveen Kandregula’s Cinema Bandi.
The comedy-drama has been the talk of the town, and Vikas is overwhelmed with the response he and the film have been receiving.
“There is no boundary to art, and this is one example of that,” he says, adding, “Apart from the recognition and popularity that I have been showered with, there is a sense of satisfaction of having been a part of such a project.
We thought we hadmade a good film, but never thought it would turn out to be the best film. It has garnered attention from an audience across India. For being my first film in Telugu, I am immensely happy at the turn of events. Sharing his experience of being a part of Cinema Bandi, Vikas says he got the role by accident.
“Previously, I had associated with Praveen for a small ad shoot in a Tamil commercial. Since he knew me, he texted me asking if I knew any Telugu-speaking person. When he stressed on this casting for the second time, I discussed it in detail. When I also told him that I was fluent in Telugu, we realised that it was the perfect match,” he says.
The duo then did a short film which was later pitched to producers. “We even considered a mix of Telugu-Kannada slang which worked well for the film,” explains Vikas.
Coming from an IT background, he admits that his initial passion was not cinema. “I don’t call it ‘luck by chance’,” says Vikas, who wanted to do something different when his then day job didn’t give him complete satisfaction.
He tried his hand at a small screen project and began his acting career with Pancharangi Pom Pom. It was followed with serials like Amma, Avalu, Preethi Endrenu, and Chakravyuha. His latest is Manasaare which is being telecast on Udaya TV.
He has also made a transition to silver screen, making his debut as lead in Karaali. He has played antagonist characters in films like 6ne Maili and Randhawa. Interestingly, Vikas is a dubbing artiste and has been the voice of Allu Arjun, Mahesh Babu, and Prabas’ films dubbed in Kannada. He has also dubbed for Sudeep in the Kananda version of Eega.
“For nine years, I struggled. There were times when I would be all set to shoot for a film, and would suddenly get a call that the project had been halted. Such experiences taught me patience and I realised this is bound to happen in this profession. I learnt that the hunger to do better will pay off at some point,” says the actor who has now been approached by a couple of filmmakers from Tollywood, and is in talks with a well-known production house. “Everything is in the initial stages,” reveals Vikas.