Happy birthday Vicky Kaushal: 5 must-watch performances

Some are born with luck and some with talent. And Vicky Kaushal, who turns a year younger today, was definitely born with both. Here was a lanky boy, not having the conventional good looks of a Bollywood hero, who is now on the radar of many established directors.

He started off as an assistant to Anurag Kashyap in the cult crime drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in 2012 and three years later, he awed one and all with his performance in Neeraj Ghaywan’s Cannes winner ‘Masaan’. He followed it up with the gritty thriller ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’. It was evident from the time he entered Bollywood that Vicky had talent and he didn’t mind showcasing it even in supporting roles like that of Kamli in Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Sanju’. What’s best about his career is his constant shift between mainstream films like ‘Chhaava’, ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, ‘Sanju’, ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’, ‘Dunki’ and thought-provoking films like ‘Raazi’, ‘Sardar Udham’ and ‘Sam Bahadur’. Now, he is gearing up for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Love & War’.

Within a decade in the industry, Vicky has established a reputation for breaking boundaries and raising the bar both for himself and the industry with compelling performances that earned him the tag of one of the most versatile actors in the industry today. On his birthday, we list five of his stellar performances:

Masaan (2015)

Debuting with his critically acclaimed ‘Masaan’, Vicky brought to life Deepak’s character, which was extraordinary. Playing a lower caste young man struggling with grief and the brutality of society, Vicky’s naturalistic acting brimmed with unfiltered emotions won him audiences’ hearts in a heartbeat.

Manmarziyaan (2018)

We get it. Many might disagree with us for not including ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ in this list. Of course, his role as Major Vihaan Singh Shergill in the military action drama marked a major turning point in his career and even earned him a National Award. But Vicky Sandhu in Anurag Kashyap’s love story ‘Manmarziyaan’ is unlike anything we’ve seen him do before. As a blue-haired, reckless and commitment-phobic DJ, he completely surrendered to Kashyap’s world. In an interview, Vicky said, “‘Manmarziyaan’ has been one of the most liberating experiences for me as an actor.” Well, it was the same for us too as viewers.

Raazi (2018)

In the spy thriller ‘Raazi’, Vicky took on the role of Iqbal Syed, a Pakistani military officer torn between love and duty and starred alongside Alia Bhatt, who played an Indian spy. Vicky’s gentleness and sincerity alongside his deeply vulnerable portrayal made the audience empathise with a character’s tragedy from the other side of the border.

Sanju (2018)

In this Rajkumar Hirani-directed biopic, Vicky portrayed Kamli, Sanjay Dutt’s best friend, played by Ranbir Kapoor. Even in a film centered around another star, Vicky managed to stand out with his endearing performance. With a perfect blend of humour and heart, Vicky as Kamlesh ‘Kamli’ Kanhaiyala, adds a solid emotional depth down the line. Audiences laughed with him and cried with him and many walked away remembering Kamli as the soul of the story.

Sardar Udham (2021)

Vicky flawlessly brings freedom fighter Udham Singh’s story to life in this biographical drama who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Blending emotional depth, historical accuracy and a soul-stirring presence, this movie is considered as one of his best career performances.