Vicky Kaushal is an Indian film actor and former theater actor and assistant director. He is best known for his role as Kamli in the blockbuster film Sanju.
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Early Life and Education
Vicky was born on 16 May 1988 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. His father is former stuntman and Bollywood action director Shyam Kaushal. His mother Veena Kaushal is a homemaker. He has one brother Sunny Kaushal, who has worked as an assistant director in films like My Friend Pinto and Gunday, and will make his debut as an actor with Shailendra Singh directed movie ‘Sunshine Music Tours and Travels.’
Kaushal attended the Sheth Chunilal Damodardas Barfivala High School located in Mumbai. During school he took part in dramas, dance competitions, and skits. He also enjoyed playing cricket. He then enrolled at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology in Mumbai and graduated in 2009 as an electronics and telecommunication engineer.
When in college, Vicky went to a factory for an industrial visit. It was there he realized that he was not made for a 9 to 5 job. Hence, he told his parents that he will finish his education, but will then seek a career in acting.
Career
After college, Kaushal got many engineering job offers but he not take up any of them. He joined the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting workshop to hone his acting skills. He also worked with the theater groups of Manav Kaul and Naseeruddin Shah.
In 2012, Vicky finally got his break and made his acting debut with a small role in the film Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. He played the role of young Omi. A year later, he got his first lead role in the short film ‘Geek Out’ directed by Vasan Bala. In 2015, he had a minor appearance as Inspector Basil in the film Bombay Velvet.
Kaushal had worked as an assistant director on the sets of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur in 2010. Neeraj Ghaywan was also an assistant director for the movie. When he decided to direct the critically acclaimed and award winning film Masaan, he asked Vicky to come for an audition. Ghaywan was skeptical about Vicky, a typical Mumbai Punjabi boy, being able to portray the role of a small town boy from Benaras. Vicky’s audition however made him change his mind and he subsequently cast Kaushal as one of the leads. Vicky received a lot of praise from critics for his subtle performance in Masaan. He also won several acting awards.
In 2016, Vicky played the lead in the film Zubaan. He later portrayed the character of a drug-addicted police officer in Anurag Kashyap directed psychological crime thriller ‘Raman Raghav 2.0.’ In 2018, he played the lead opposite Alia Bhatt in the blockbuster spy film Raazi. Later, he starred as Sanjay Dutt’s best friend in the runaway biopic movie Sanju. Kaushal also starred in two Netflix movies in 2018. Both the films ‘Lust Stories’ and ‘Love per Square Foot’ were appreciated by critics.
He is slated to star in the movie Manmarziyaan alongside Taapsee Pannu and Abhishek Bachchan. There is also a 2019 film project titled ‘Uri’ in the works.
Vicky Kaushal’s father – Sham Kaushal
Vicky looks up to his father Sham Kaushal, as his biggest source of inspiration. Hailing from Punjab, he had come to Mumbai to become a lecturer. When he couldn’t be so, he took on a job of a salesman, earning only Rs. 350 per month. He happened to come in contact with a few stuntmen and became a stuntman himself. With perseverance, he became an action director with Prahaar.
Sham Kaushal is the undisputed director of action in Bollywood, bagging maximum awards in that category. Vicky looks up to his father for being self-made and being a humble, giving person. He says that his father taught him to live in the present without taking too much stress on things. Vicky says that he didn’t use his father’ name to audition for Masaan, and went on to get the role on his own steam.
Personal Life and Trivia
- Kaushal does not have a girlfriend and is not involved in any relationship.
- He is 6’ 3” tall.
- As of 2018, he charges INR 3 crores per movie. His net worth is an estimated Rs. 20 crore. He recently purchased a Mercedes Benz GLC SUV car.
Vicky Kaushal – Upcoming movies
Vicky Kaushal will be seen in the war-thriller ‘Uri’ based on the 2016 Uri attacks.
The talented actor will be seen in a romantic drama ‘Manmarziyaan’ directed by Anurag Kashyap, where he is cast opposite Yami Gautam. He has also been signed for a horror comedy, produced by Karan Johar.
