Vaibhav Raj Gupta on bagging Mandala Murders: I worried that people were looking at me only as Anubhav Mishra

Vaibhav Raj Gupta

Imagine making a coffee run and returning with praise. Or better, with the promise of a role. Vaibhav Raj Gupta tells us that's exactly how he landed Mandala Murders, created by Gopi Puthran. "In 2022, I was at a cafe when I met Gopi sir's wife Khyati [Anand Puthran], who is the writer of Raat Jawan Hai [2024]. She said, ‘You were good in the third season of Gullak. My husband is pitching your name for something.' [Months later,] Gopi sir met me at a cafe and asked me to meet him at his place later. There, he told me that he was pitching me to YRF for a show. I thought it would be a romantic show because the banner is known for romances. As soon as he narrated Mandala's world, I said, ‘I don't need time to decide; I'm doing this,'" he recalls.

(L-R) Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Jameel Khan in ‘Gullak'

The Netflix thriller, led by Vaani Kapoor, came at the right time for Gupta. The actor was eager to break away from the image created by his much-loved series Gullak, in which he played the sincere elder son of the family. "I worried that people were looking at me only as Anubhav Mishra [his character in Gullak], even though I had done other shows."

(From left) Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Jameel Khan, and Vaani Kapoor in ‘Mandala Murders'. Pics/Instagram, Youtube

What he viewed as a cause for concern became an advantage. It turns out that Aditya Chopra, who produced Mandala Murders, had seen his work in Gullak. "I learnt that Adi sir and Uday [Chopra] sir supported Gopi sir's choice. Both of them had seen the show, and my casting happened in 10 days," he smiles.