Vipul Gupta has hit the ‘jackpot’ by being part of the prestigious film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.
Essaying the role of Jagat Singh in the film, Vipul bagged the honours of sharing quality screen space with stalwart actors like Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan.
Says Vipul, “I felt blessed to be sharing the screen with Ajay Sir and Saif Bhai. When I was signed, I was taken in as one of the primary characters. I was bowled over when I got to hear the narration. I always knew I had a good role, but when I saw the end product, I was even happier. The film has come out really well and all the hard work has paid off. The visual extravaganza of the film is huge and people have liked it a lot. All this has been the vision of the Director Om Raut and he has done a splendid job. Above all, the way people have accepted my character of Jagat Singh thrills me.”
Vipul had shot for a commercial of Royal Stag along with Saif Ali Khan nearly 12 years back. And on the first day when he met Saif on the set of Tanhaji, Vipul was taken aback when Saif clearly remembered having worked with him. “The ad was directed by Shoojit Sircar and it was fun shooting with Saif Bhai 12 years back. And I was overwhelmed when he actually realized who I am. He has guided me a lot throughout the shoot of the film. For a newcomer like me in films, there was so much to learn from him.”
Vipul has earlier featured in films Lakshya, Fox, Yeh Saali Zindagi.
On what it means to be part of Tanhaji, Vipul exclaims, “Tanhaji is going to be one of the biggest hits of this year. And being part of such a film is a blessing. It can’t get bigger than this. Working with Ajay Sir was again an honour. As a kid, I have always looked up to Ajay Sir as an actor. It was a fanboy moment for me when I was shooting with Ajay Devgn for the film. Ajay Sir has a great heart and is magnanimous in whatever he does.”
“I am indebted to the Director Om Raut as I got exactly what he described of my role in the paper. My dad came to see the screening of the film and there was this one moment when Omji told my father that he should be proud of his son. It was so sweet of him to have told my dad about my good work in the film,” he states.
Vipul has had a good run on the web space too, with him featuring in Vikram Bhatt’s series Zakhmi recently.
Vipul has some meaty roles on offer on the web as well as the big screen. “I have always been greedy for good work. There was a phase wherein I could have made a lot of money if I had continued with TV. I respect TV, and if I have my own house in Mumbai today, it is only because of my TV work. However, I never wanted to over-expose myself and that was my greed. I did not want to be labelled as just a TV kid. Now things have changed when compared to the earlier time when it was very difficult for a TV actor to break into Bollywood. As actors, we should not be dependent on any medium. We have to perform irrespective of the medium. I am lucky enough to be part of good films, good TV shows and now good web stuff too. I hope I get really good work now and keep pushing my bar further.”
“With Tanhaji getting a good response, there have been some good offers coming. Keeping my fingers crossed. Let us see,” he ends.
Wish you all the luck, Vipul!!