Vidyut Jammwal: I have to wait, since I am not from the film industry – Exclusive! – Times of India

Vidyut Jammwal is the quintessential action hero, but with films like Khuda Haafiz, Yaara, Baadshaho and more, he’s got raves for his dramatic performances as well. Speaking to ETimes, Vidyut revealed that it’s his outsider status that has been the biggest challenge in getting a variety of opportunities. He explained, “Since I am not from the film industry, I will have to go through a certain process and wait for certain opportunities and success. People will watch Commando and keep offering me only those kinds of roles, till some like Faruk Kabir (director of Khuda Haafiz movies) comes along and sees the potential and says, ‘No Vidyut can do much more’.”

But Vidyut has always enjoyed the appreciation of his dramatic performances. He said, “For me it’s great to realise that people can see much more variety in my work and my potential. It is gratifying for sure, but it also makes me happy to realise that things are happening.” On the subject of balancing action and drama, Vidyut felt that he has a lot to achieve in both fields. He said, “There’s so much to be done within the action genre alone. I haven’t even started yet. With experience I have started thinking and ideating better than before. We will keep surpassing the action benchmarks for sure. Having said that, I enjoy the emotional and dramatic bits of cinema equally. So If I am doing action, I will do emotional and dramatic roles with the same kind of dedication.”

In his characteristic cheeky style and charm he added, “I have set high standards for myself.” We ask Vidyut if he’s prepared for the creative risk of leaving his action hero image aside and attempting a full-blown drama feature. He said, “I don’t predict my future, because the moment you start thinking that it will happen a certain way, the exact opposite tends to happen. So the way I have been living my life is to be focussed. When I had come to Bombay, I always knew that I wanted to do action. And I wanted to do it in a way that nobody had seen before. That was the only plan. And now the plan is I am going to do something that nobody has tried before. I don’t care what people think, I am going to do the best I can.”

Finally, Vidyut also shared that the outsiders in the film industry could be each other’s strength. He added, “For people who are not from Bombay and not from the film industry, we all function best when we find like-minded people. It’s best to meet people who are just as deluded as you.”