Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 17 : Vikrant Massey, who has proven his mettle as an actor time and again, opened up about the benefits of the internet for today's generation and the pressure of social media trolling.
In an interview with ANI, the actor said, "I think there is awareness today and it is good. It is because of the internet. There is awareness in today's generation because of the very good internet. I have two beautiful nieces. They are twins. They are just thirteen but far more aware than me when I was their age. They are responsible kids so I feel good about it. But there is a fear also, as a cancel culture exists in society. Even a normal person today could be cancelled or trolled over his or her beliefs. Cancel culture is, somewhat, unfortunately, seeping into our lives."
"I also want to share so many things but I may not because I know there could be major pushback. So, I would not openly talk about so many things," the actor added.
On nepotism, the actor said, "It is a merit-based institution. Log nepotism ki baat karte hain(people talk about nepotism) but mai logon se kehta hu even a shopkeeper in Chandni Chowk would not go out to search for someone to sit in the shop; he would ask his son only. So, it is in every field. I am not a trained actor. If you are someone's son or daughter and you get ample opportunities, if you are not good at work, you will be immediately shown the door in this industry."
On the challenges of surviving the industry and making it big, the actor said, "I have seen many people coming from North India; jinki apni kothiya hai, they left them and came here. I have seen them sleeping with 6-6 people. So, there is a misconception that things are easy here. It is a very democratic community. It is a very robust and progressive community but it is not a family. It is a very competitive industry. There are thousands of actors who want to take my place. Do they wish well for me? Or am I irreplaceable? No. If I break my leg, someone else will come and take my place and start shooting in the next 4 days, and that is how competitive it is."
The actor, however, emphasised that it is work that matters and not one's caste.
"I have seen technicians who came from Chhattisgarh and worked as light men initially. But now they have acquired big names for themselves as technicians. They got to this stage through their hard work and creativity. Ours is a beautiful industry where caste and religion don't matter," Massey said.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vikrant's recent release '12th Fail' has been sent to the Oscars 2024 as an independent nomination.
The film received plaudits from Kamal Haasan, Rishabh Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Farhan Akhtar and Anil Kapoor, among others.
Helmed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, '12th Fail' revolves around UPSC aspirants and is based on real-life experiences. It draws from the gritty struggles of millions of students who attempt the UPSC entrance exam.