When Vineet Kumar Singh’s character roars in Superboys of Malegaon, “Writer baap hota hai,” you can see his own angst at work there. Earlier, in Chhaava, his character of Kavi Kalash was much appreciated. He has now become a household name, thanks to the historical drama’s stupendous success. Vineet is a certified doctor of medicine, who drifted into films as he was consumed by a passion for cinema. He has been around for more than two decades now, slowly carving his name. He has finally reached the peak and his ear-to-ear smile reflects that happiness. In one of his recent interviews, he spoke about not having his own home yet in Mumbai. Maybe now he’ll get more commercial roles and will finally realise that dream as well. He insists on serving coffee before we speak, and our talk continues between sips…

2025 has started on a great note for you, what with both Chhavaa and Superboyz of Malegaon getting much love from the audience
How has the response been to your powerful performance in Chhavaa?
How difficult was it to shoot the climax scene?
Your role in Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon has already gained you a lot of praise.
You’re a doctor, a licensed medical practitioner, who later gravitated towards films…
You started your career with Mahesh Manjrekar’s Pitaah (2002). How do you look back on your journey so far?
And then you left it all to go back to Varanasi…
During this time, did you feel like quitting?
You share a good equation with Anurag Kashyap.
Anurag Kashyap’s working style is very different from other directors…
Have your struggles ceased now?
What were your learnings in this journey?
What would you advise aspiring actors?

2025 has started on a great note for you, what with both Chhavaa and Superboyz of Malegaon getting much love from the audience

This year has been truly memorable. Chhavaa has been magical. I’m extremely happy with
this success. I feel overwhelmed and speechless.

How has the response been to your powerful performance in Chhavaa?

I visited a theater where Chhavaa was being screened, and as soon as I entered, a few children ran up to me and hugged me, saying, “Kavi Kalash zinda hain!” The way people held my hands or hugged me out of sheer joy is beyond
words.

How difficult was it to shoot the climax scene?

When Laxman Utekar told us that the climax would involve conversations through poetry, both Vicky and I were excited. We felt this scene could be something truly unique.Before the film started, I visited Tulapur, where Sambhaji Maharaj and Kavi Kalash’s samadhis are located. I took their blessings to do justice to my role. Vicky Kaushal is like a brother to me. Back during Gangs of Wasseypur, he was an assistant director, and I was in front of the camera. Our bond has only grown stronger since then. During the climax, when I saw him, it truly felt like my brother was being held captive, his body tortured and torn apart. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with emotions. I felt that I could sacrifice everything for him. I was consumed by a kind of spiritual energy, and I approached the scene with that intensity.

Your role in Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon has already gained you a lot of praise.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Reema in both Gold and Superboys. She is incredibly meticulous. When she arrives on set, she has already done all of her homework. Every detail is well thought out, which makes the actor’s job much easier. It’s crucial for a director to have a clear vision and Reema has that in abundance. She encourages actors to be honest in their performances, believing that the best work comes when an actor gives their all with sincerity. Reema gave me the freedom to share my thoughts with her. I presented my ideas to her, leaving it up to her to decide what worked and what didn’t. Superboys was a challenging role for me but Reema had complete faith in my abilities. In any film, what helps you connect with the character is the costume, hair, and makeup. Beyond that, it was Varun Grover’s writing and Reema’s attention to detail that really brought Farooque to life.

See Also: How Vineet Kumar Singh Improvised A Key Dialogue In Superboys Of Malegaon

You’re a doctor, a licensed medical practitioner, who later gravitated towards films…

I was always drawn to cinema like a magnet. After watching a film, I would immediately go to the barber shop to model my hairstyle to that of its hero. That’s the kind of impact it had on me. Whenever I talked about wanting to become an actor, people would laugh at me. But acting was something I truly desired. My parents didn’t give their consent but my sister Mukti and my brother helped by making videos of my work and sharing them. I was completely unaware of the acting world at the time. I thought that if I became a doctor, I could practice medicine in the evening and chase my film dreams during the day. I believed the film industry was just like a 9-to-5 job—everyone would work in the morning and go home by 5 pm. So, I decided to study medicine in Haridwar, with the idea that I could travel to Delhi to watch plays.

You started your career with Mahesh Manjrekar’s Pitaah (2002). How do you look back on your journey so far?

I came to Mumbai to participate in the Superstars talent competition and I was selected. Mahesh Manjrekar was one of the judges and he offered me a role in his film Pitaah. Unfortunately, the film didn’t succeed. One day, Maheshji told me, ‘You think and write well, why don’t you assist until you get work?’ That’s when I shifted my focus towards direction. I ended up assisting on 6-7 films. At that time, I didn’t know anyone in the film industry but I thought being on the set would give me the chance to meet people and observe actors. That’s how I spent my time working until 2006.

And then you left it all to go back to Varanasi…

I never gave up; it’s just that I didn’t get the right opportunities at the time. Otherwise, I would have proven myself. By 2006, I had completed my post-graduation in Nagpur. After that, I didn’t have a place to stay in Mumbai nor did I have any work. Survival became difficult, so I left Mumbai and returned to my hometown, Varanasi. I was feeling lost. There, I would go to the market every day to get VHS tapes of films. I would watch 3-4 films at home every day. In the evenings, I would go to the ground to exercise. My family was starting to get frustrated with me. Then one day, I found out that Mahesh Bhattji was in Varanasi. My brother and I went to meet him and he told me that I had raw energy. He mentioned that he had felt the same energy when he met actors like Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Ashutosh Rana. He said he was making a film, Dhokha, and had a role for me. After that, I returned to Mumbai and worked with
him on Jannat, Jashn, Dhokha and Crooks.

During this time, did you feel like quitting?

People would say, ‘It’s been 10 years and you’re still struggling. At least now, think about doing something else.’ My friends had their own hospitals, while I had nothing to show for myself. I had an option, because I was a doctor but I had chosen the path of acting. Inside me, there are two voices—one of the actor, who says, ‘This is what I want to do,’ and the other of the doctor, who asks, ‘How long will this go on?’ Battling that internal conflict and moving forward was really difficult.”

You share a good equation with Anurag Kashyap.

I met Anurag sir for the first time in 2009 at the MAMI Film Festival. I mentioned that I was from Varanasi and he replied that he was planning to visit Varanasi. The person I had longed to meet for years was now sitting in front of me, eating food. I felt incredibly blessed that day. I handed over Anurag’s travel details to my brother. My brother then showed him a CD of my work in Varanasi. Anurag called me for his next project, Gangs of Wasseypur. That’s how a new equation was formed between us. After that, I worked with him on Bombay Talkies, Ugly and Mukkabaz. I’m also working with him on a
film now.

Anurag Kashyap’s working style is very different from other directors…

When I work with Anurag sir something within me unfolds that I wasn’t even aware of. He challenges his actors in a way that brings out something new every time. He improvises a lot on the set, adapting to the location and the energy of the place, often coming up with something unique in the moment. Working with him helps you grow as an actor. In terms of our work dynamic, we both understand each other
very well.

Have your struggles ceased now?

Struggles never end. Your position changes and so does the nature of your struggle. In the beginning, it was about making a name for myself. Then it became about getting more and better scenes in a film. Now, the struggle is to work with good directors and secure lead roles. Now that I’ve established myself, I want to fast-track my career. Here, people may appreciate your work, but they don’t always offer you work. When I started, we didn’t have casting directors like we do now, so it was much more difficult. When I couldn’t find work that aligned with my aspirations, I decided to write Mukkebaaz. It took me five years to make that one film. In this industry, you have to constantly prove yourself. My passion for cinema was so strong that the thought of giving up never even crossed
my mind.

What were your learnings in this journey?

I’m an emotional fool but I’ve realised that being emotional doesn’t work here. Being emotional is good in front of the camera.In real life, it often leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth. I tend to trust people quite easily, which also means I get hurt easily. Because of this, I keep my distance. The sad part is that people often mistake my distance for rudeness or attitude. In this industry, people make big promises, swear by them but rarely follow through

What would you advise aspiring actors?

There’s no fixed rule for success in this industry. The key is to work harder on yourself, constantly improve and evolve. Make yourself competent in whichever profession you choose. Your talent will eventually give you the strength and opportunities you need.

See Also: Superboys of Malegaon Review: Ode to Friendship and Filmmaking