3 min readNew DelhiJun 29, 2026 04:15 PM IST
Vikrant Massey started his acting journey at the age of 16, and it wasn’t the most easy one. The actor, who was juggling two jobs to pay for his education at that time, was given an offer by a TV producer while working at a Mumbai restaurant. During the early days of his career in early 2010s, he faced several rejections too. At a recent FICCI FLO event in Bengaluru, while Vikrant was talking about facing rejections, he called casting directors and assistants ‘failed actors’. He also claimed that they only take those jobs to run their homes.
During the candid conversation, he said, “Most casting directors and casting assistants are failed actors themselves. Most of them. Failed is not the right word, maybe comparatively unsuccessful actors or they have not been able to recognise or realise their potential entirely.”
‘They try to teach you acting’
The actor further added, “They take up those jobs because they have homes to run. But, there is a bitter feeling. So, every casting assistant is trying to teach you acting. They stand behind the camcorder, they will make you act the way they think you should act, even if you are decently good or well-prepped. In the latter part of my career, I would request the director to come for the audition.”
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Vikrant also revealed that the casting assistants and their rejections eventually pushed him to become a better version of himself. “Sometimes, your audition is good, you don’t get the part, but your audition is actually a reference for other actors. You are just thinking, if I was good enough, why did I not get selected. That’s how it is. Rejections were plenty. Thanks to all those casting assistants. They kind of pushed me within to better myself and sort of ignited the fire in me. It’s a part of life,” he concluded.
‘Casting directors are bitter’
Earlier, during an interview with Galatta Plus, Vikrant has revealed that he had started requesting for directors to be present at auditions, instead of just casting assistants. “Auditions are very tricky. And the worst thing is that most people who are conducting your auditions are aspiring actors themselves. Most casting directors are either failed actors who are partly bitter, or their assistants are aspiring actors themselves. It’s a very tricky space, and I recognised that very early. They’re directing you, but you’re never sure if that is the way the director would want to direct you.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vikrant Massey was last seen in the romantic drama Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, opposite Shanaya Kapoor. The actor will next feature in a biopic, in which he will play the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. He gained a lot of popularity after starring as the lead in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail, in 2023.
Vikrant Massey says casting directors take their jobs to 'run their home'