Sharing screen space with Alia, Ranbir will get me more exposure: Vicky Kaushal

Vicky Kaushal feels his journey so far in Bollywood has been like a "dream sequence" -- yet he believes in living in the present instead of chalking out plans for the future. The actor says he is happy that big names like Meghna Gulzar and Rajkummar Hirani have offered him projects, and he hopes to make the most of them.

The actor, who forayed into Bollywood with the role of a simple character in a powerful film "Masaan" in 2015, says there is no doubt that Alia Bhatt-starrer "Raazi" and Hirani's yet untitled Sanjay Dutt biopic -- featuring Ranbir Kapoor -- will get him wide exposure.

"If a film comes out of Dharma Productions or by Hirani, it will travel to different cities and villages. It will go across the country... So (films with Alia and Ranbir Kapoor) will get me better exposure," Vicky told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"The level of exposure of these kinds of films is very different. The nation also waits for films from these production houses."

Based on the book "Calling Sehmat", "Raazi" is the story of a Kashmiri girl (essayed by Alia) who is married to a Pakistani army officer and is set during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Vicky will play the role of the army officer. It is produced by Dharma Productions and Junglee Pictures.

There is no information about what role Vicky will essay in the Sanjay Dutt biopic, which is produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

After accepting that films with popular stars and filmmakers get wider reach, Vicky -- who did small roles in films like "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" and "Bombay Velvet" before getting big ticket with "Masaan" -- asserts that it is not the criteria that he goes by while picking projects.

"You always want to be part of good stories and work with good people. And then in this quest if you get good people like Raju sir and project by Dharma with a good storyline, you feel lucky that such big names are showing trust in your calibre and giving you a chance.

"We have to make the most of that opportunity and put in hard work," he added.

The tall, dark and handsome star of Bollywood also has films like "Zubaan" and "Raman Raghav 2.0" in his filmography.

"I look at it (his journey) as a dream sequence of my life," he said, adding that he never thinks about the future. "I concentrate on today and give my hundred percent to today. I live that day with full honesty. I don't want to live with the fear of what might happen in the future, and ruin my present."

For Vicky, son of action director Shyam Kaushal, it is important to learn with every film.

"It is important to enjoy the process of the film. The film has its own destiny. You can make a film and leave it to the audience, and they will decide if they like it or now," he added.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

--IANS

sug/rb/sac