Absence of work terrifying for actors: Viineet Kumar

From background characters to playing a corpse and even a ghost, "Mukkabaaz" star Viineet Kumar says he has done all kind of roles in his career in the hope that these appearances will eventually translate into bigger parts.

It was a struggle for nearly two decades for the actor, who was first noticed with Anurag Kashyap's 2012 gangster drama "Gangs of Wasseypur" as Danish Khan and later got his due with the filmmaker's heartland boxing drama "Mukkabaaz".

The actor said the blink-and-miss appearances never bothered him because the thought of not having work was more frightening.

"As an actor, if there's one thing that sends shivers down my spine, it's the absence of work. For a very long time, I didn't have any work. So I've done roles where I'm just standing in the background, in the hope that next time when I work with the same people, maybe I'll get a line, then a scene," Viineet told PTI in an interview.

The struggle to stay afloat in the city while chasing his acting dreams led Viineet to pick up everything that came his way.

"I've played a dead body in film and even a ghost on a TV show. I later identified myself by the kurta I was wearing in the scene. I had no money and you have to do what comes your way to survive in this city, to fulfill your larger dream. All these experiences, this journey helps you eventually as an actor."
"The key, for me, is to take up a new work and not have even the reflection of your past performance in it. It's challenging but so much fun. In 'Betaal', you'll not see any resemblance to what I've done in the past. When you understand thr nuances of your character, the rhythm, something fresh is born."