Vineet Kumar Singh recalls struggling years

Mumbai: Fourteen years ago when Vineet Kumar Singh started his journey with a little guilt and a lot of hope, he never imagined he would be able to make a mark in the film industry not with his medical background. But the actor, whose second film Ugly, has just hit the theatres, is grateful for all the lessons his struggling years have taught him.

“My father, who is a mathematician, had varied thoughts about this field when I told him that I would like to pursue my career in acting. He used to tell me time and again or rather remind me that I am the eldest child of the family and if I chose this path then I would be on my own. There was a lot of pressure on me. I did my graduation in medical and then my post graduation in Ayurveda and only I know how I managed being suspended between the life that I wanted and the life that I had to deal with” he shared.

His academic qualifications meant little in Bollywood. The initial days were hard for Vineet who knew it very well that if he doesn’t manage to reach his goal, then he would have nowhere else to go. “During my medical college days I would go out to watch movies and plays. Most of what I learnt was from what I saw. Whatever training I have had, is all unofficial.”

The talent hunt was the main reason which drew Vineet closer to Mumbai in 1999-2000. “It’s been 14 years since then. I cleared all the levels and even won the talent hunt. That boosted my morals and there was no looking back since then” he recalls.

The industry has been kind to only few outsiders. Vineet says that he has seen his friends come and go. When asked how he still continued his journey he says, “If I commit to something then I stick to it until the very last strand of hope. I never thought that this will not lead to something. I kept waiting and waiting. My friends who came here in the same hope of being an actor or be in the industry, I have seen them leave. When I used to pack their bags, it felt like I was packing their dreams. It was a terrible time but we must always look forward.”

Vineet received his first break in 2012 in Gangs of Wasseypur. Being from the same native city as Anurag Kashyap, Vineet never hoped that the filmmaker would favour him over others. He waited for the perfect time to meet the director he always wanted to work with.

“Anurag Kashyap gave me my first break and I can never thank him enough for that. Even before meeting him I was well aware that Anurag sir is known to not give any leverage to people who come from his home-town. So I polished my acting skills by doing Marathi, Bhojpuri films and side roles in television before taking the big leap. I think all the struggle I have been through came to an end as he saw something that no one ever saw in me. He has faith in me which, to some extent, helped me grow but I could have never gone to him if I hadn’t made myself worthy of being an actor in his film” he confessed.