Vicky Kaushal's father Shyam Kaushal is a legendary action-director and stunt coordinator in the film industry
Vicky Kaushal with father Shyam Kaushal. Picture Courtesy: mid-day archive
Vicky Kaushal's debut film, Masaan (2015) was a critically acclaimed film, and the actor got typecast as an art-hero. However, it was Rajkumar Hirani's Sanju and Lust Stories' that brought Kaushal in the mainstream galore. Next, Uri: The Surgical Strike did wonders for Vicky and the film became the second-highest films at the box office of 2019, after Kabir Singh. Ever since there's no looking back for this tall and handsome actor. Vicky has a bucket full of films.
In an exclusive interview with Mayank Shekhar for mid-day's Sit With Hitlist, Vicky Kaushal spoke about the inspiration behind his hardwork and success. He owes it all to his father Shyam Kaushal - the coordinator of the film industry, who shared a great relationship with Ajay Devgn's father, Veeru Devgn (Stunt master).
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Talking about his dad's early life and struggle, Vicky Kaushal said, "My dad and mom are from a small village in Punjab. He (father) was good in studies, and started learning English in sixth grade. He went on to top BA, in English Literature; did his MA. And wanted to be an English professor in Punjab. But the family's financial situation was such that he could not pursue an M.Phil from Chandigarh."
"At 23, he was frustrated, with no job, even after an MA degree. My dadaji [grandfather] had a very small kiraane ki dukaan [convenience store] in the village. My dad's friend Satpal was going to Bombay to become an actor. Since my dad was doing nothing at home, and frustrated, my grandfather asked him to tag along with the friend, for a few days, feel better, and come back," said the actor.
Watch the full Sit With Hitlist interview here:
Little did Shyam Kaushal knew that this trip would change his life forever, and what Bombay had in store for him. "In Bombay, my dad wanted to start a new life. He had a distant uncle in New Bombay, who got him a salesman's job in a plumbing-wall shop, behind RK Studios, in Chembur. He did that for Rs 350 a month, and really struggled. He's been on streets. Without letting anybody know, he used to live in the office, having done a 'setting' with the peon. He would sleep, leave early; and come back, when work started."
Reportedly, the Raazi actor's father would take a shower in office. When the actor was asked, he affirmed saying, "Yeah, everything. After a year, he knew he couldn't start a family with Rs 350 a month, even if he did the same thing for 15 to 30 years. So, without Plan B, he quits his job, and comes to a PG [paying-guest accommodation] in Santacruz. Here, he stays with 10 Punjabi guys, who're stuntmen. They leave for work in the morning, and come back with a tidy sum in the evening. That's when he discovers this [profession]. Purely for survival, he decides to become a stuntman, at 25. People start training at 13-15, when their body is flexible. He had never done any physical activity before. He used to sit in his father's shop, and do accounts."
Further, the 31-year-old actor also revealed how his father landed his first job. "So he is a stuntman for 10 years. He lands up his first film as action director with Mohanlal, because the Malayalam filmmakers were shooting in Bombay. They needed someone to handle the stunt sequences. They would've been okay with an experienced stuntman as well. So long as the person understood English, so they could communicate with him. My father was the only guy around who knew English. He got that job because of his degree in English Literature!"
And, Vicky takes this all as learnings for him. "That was his lesson to me. That it doesn't matter what you're learning. I've done engineering. He said, "It doesn't matter if the circuits you're working on is going to help you in acting, or not. But your hardwork, and giving your best to your 'now', will help you eventually!" But, yeah. It's been his, and my mom's journey," concluded Vicky Kaushal.
Also Read: We bet you didn't know about Vicky Kaushal's blink and miss appearance in Gangs of Wasseypur
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