Actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta is fondly remembered for his character of Annu in SonyLIV web series ‘Gullak’ and he followed it up with his grey character of Shankar in Sakshi Tanwar-led ‘Mai’, which streamed on Netflix. Recently, he featured in another SonyLIV web series, titled ‘Good Bad Girl’.
The nine-part series on SonyLIV, directed by Abhishek Sengupta and produced by Vikas Bahl and Anurag Shrivastava, revolved around the life of Maya Ahuja (played by Samridhi Dewan) as an underdog lawyer. The show, which also stars Gul Panag, features Vaibhav as an urban lawyer Sahil Mistry.
Talking about why he picked up ‘Good Bad Girl’, Vaibhav tells Outlook, “I have been waiting to do something in an urban setting because I wasn’t getting a role like that. I always want to do different characters. I played Annu for ‘Gullak’, then to have a change, I did ‘Mai’ where I played a goon. I was looking for a change, and fortunately, there are some casting directors who see beyond the usual. After hearing my part, I loved my role, he is a rich urban lawyer. That’s how I ended up doing my character Sahil from ‘Good Bad Girl’.”
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From short films like ‘White Shirt’ and ‘Jitters’ to featuring in OTT space, the actor has made a mark in the entertainment space now. But how is he taking his newfound success? Vaibhav says, “I have just started but I have really worked hard for whatever is there so far. It’s been 13 years for me in Mumbai, and almost after working for a decade, I have seen that people recognise me, they love my work and are also willing to work with me. I don’t have to go door to door to ask for work. Now by god’s grace, I am getting work. OTT has been a blessing for all of us, and I want to choose my projects now.”
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Of course, his characters of Annu, Shankar and Sahil have been different from each other. Elaborating on how he prepares for his roles, Vaibhav tells us, “Every script has its own method. I read a lot and I do so many things in life, not related to acting, and it helps a lot to get a perspective. For ‘Mai’, it was a challenging role for me because I had done nothing like Shankar. Same goes for ‘Gullak’ or ‘Good Bad Girl’. I watch a lot of cinema, end up travelling or reading literature. That’s how I function and learn.”
The actor is content with his OTT stint but ‘would love to be part of a good film, waiting for that opportunity’. He says, “I have done a film for Netflix in 2017, titled ‘Ascharyachakit!’. So yea, I really like that space. Coming to OTT, it has given me wings to fly though I still want to do a film. OTT has its freedom and opportunities, the reach is big globally. I am just looking for good work, exploring myself through my characters. “
Moving ahead, Vaibhav has a project lined up with Supriya Pathak as well. It is titled 'Baby Crasto'.
