Every year, several actors enter the film industry with the dream of becoming stars and making it big in the industry, but only a few of them are able to get the recognition. Actor Vikhyat Gulati may be getting recognition today, but his journey from Delhi’s theatre circuits to Mumbai’s competitive entertainment industry has been anything but easy.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor opens up about humble beginnings, struggling to survive in Mumbai, learning theatre in New York and eventually bagging a role in the acclaimed series Kohrra season 2.
“For me it was always the stage”
Born and raised in Delhi in a Punjabi family, Vikhyat says acting wasn’t exactly a planned dream but something that kept evolving with time. “I won’t call it a dream, but it was always a work in progress,” he says. “Kids play different sports, pick up different hobbies, but for me, it was always the stage. I don’t know if it was a subconscious choice or too attractive or too daring for me to speak and act in front of the audience.”
Ironically, his first stage appearance ended in tears. “I still remember my first role. I was in preschool, and we had a monologue competition, and I played the part of the Joker. My mother put in a lot of effort to prepare me, but jaise hi main stage pe chadha (as soon as I got on stage), I started crying,” he laughs. But the stage kept calling him back. “From that moment, every year I have been on stage either acting, managing production, lighting or directing a play. It became a thing after my 12th standard.”
Interestingly, Vikhyat was initially headed towards a completely different career. “I was actually going to do hotel management, and I got into one of the world’s best colleges, IHM Pusa, Delhi. I got the 200th rank all across India. But one of my friends influenced me to come to Delhi University, where there was a lot of theatre. So I went there, started doing theatre, and then I never looked back.” That decision eventually led him to radio, writing, casting and finally acting in front of the camera.
“In New York, a teacher mocked Indian cinema. That hit me”
Vikhyat also spent time studying theatre in New York, an experience that opened his eyes to global perspectives. “It was initially challenging because when you move to a different culture, they don’t take you that seriously,” he recalls. “One of the teachers commented on Indian cinema. During COVID, we were taking classes online, and one student said she had worked with an Indian crew. The teacher made a comment that ‘yeh toh yahan se uthake vahan chep dete hain’ (They copy from here and paste it somewhere). That really hit me.”
Until then, he hadn’t introduced himself, and when he did, he told him all that he had already done. With this, he managed to change the teacher’s perspective for good. While he acknowledges the difference between industries, he believes Indian theatre and writing still hold strong ground. “It’s a completely different industry. Ours is a little unorganised, and that one is organised. Broadway shows are something we have yet to achieve here. But in writing, we have people like Girish Karnad, Rakesh and other authors. We just need to work harder in terms of presentation.”
A chance meeting that changed everything
Before acting opportunities arrived, Vikhyat worked behind the scenes in casting. “I happened to meet Anmol Ahuja and approached him, saying I want to do this. I didn’t approach him as an actor,” he recalls. “He said, come tomorrow. I noticed he was saying this to everyone. But when I went the next day, no one was there except me. I spoke to him, and he hired me in three minutes.”
From 2018 to 2020, he worked in casting until the pandemic paused everything. But the association later helped him return to the industry in a different way. “In 2021, the casting team contacted me again to cast for season one of Kohrra because I speak Punjabi well. Then in 2024, Nikita contacted me asking if I would do it again, and that’s how season two happened.”
Beating 150 actors to land Kohrra season 2
Interestingly, Vikhyat never auditioned for his role in Kohrra with the intention of playing it himself. “We had open calls in over 15 cities. We were literally on the streets casting for this project,” he says. For the character Johnny Malang, the team auditioned nearly 150 actors. “I was never auditioning other people, thinking I want to play this part. But when we were in Chandigarh-Panchkula, another casting assistant and I were jamming on the scene and recorded it. It came out really good,” he said.
That recording changed things. “Nikita suggested that since you are also an actor, just send it to the team. I sent it, and Sudeep sir really liked it.” The actor ended up playing the role of Johnny Malang, an influencer who is a murder suspect on the run, but is actually innocent and just a fraud. The actor received praise for his performance and the tag of a “blue-haired boy” too, as he coloured his hair to add realism to the character.
The harsh reality of moving to Mumbai
Like many actors, Vikhyat’s move to Mumbai came with its share of harsh lessons. “When you graduate from Delhi University and have done good theatre in DUTC, aapka ek rutba ban jata hai (It builds a reputation), but when I went to Mumbai, I was suddenly a nobody,” he says.
The first month hit him hard. “Mumbai shows you the reality. In the first month, I got a reality check, and I moved back to Delhi and continued theatre.” He returned again in 2018 with renewed determination. “I attended workshops, taught theatre to children and slowly work started rolling.”
When Vikhyat was stranded on road
One of his most difficult memories is from his first day in Mumbai. “I had spoken to two college friends who were interning there, and they said I could crash at their place. But when I reached Mumbai with two bags and called them, both of them gave excuses,” he recalls.
Suddenly, he had nowhere to go. “I was literally stranded on the road and had no place for two days.” Eventually, a distant contact helped him find temporary shelter. “A friend’s sister arranged a place where I stayed for 10–15 days until I found something of my own.”
Writing reality shows and working 18 hours a day
To survive in the expensive city, Vikhyat did every possible job in the industry. “I have been working since the day I moved to Mumbai because it’s a very expensive city and you have to be on your toes,” he says. Apart from casting, he wrote scripts for reality shows and acts in dance shows often without credit. “There were dance shows where acts were written for guests. If Shah Rukh Khan or Govinda were coming, I used to write those segments,” he recalled.
Much of this work never officially carried his name. “There was no contract. I did a lot of work on goodwill. Sometimes there was no credit on IMDb or TV. I used to take acting classes to pay my bills and keep myself afloat. None of this was in my parents’ knowledge.”
The moment his parents finally believed
The turning point came when he appeared in the popular youth series Flames. In Flames, Vikhyat essayed the role of Nikhil, Ritvik Sahore’s elder brother. His scene where he takes a stand for his younger brother and goes against his parents went viral on social media. The first taste of virality helped ease the pressure from his parents. “After Flames, the pressure from my parents dialled down because that was the first time my character went viral,” he says.
Soon, that moment turned emotional for him. “My father was travelling from Delhi to Gwalior in a train. He suddenly heard my voice and saw some boys in the adjacent berth watching that scene. He called me at 2 a.m. and said, ‘voh ladke tera scene dekh rahe hain’. He told them I was his son, and they clicked pictures with him,” he said.
For Vikhyat, that moment meant everything. “I was the only son, and my parents were always worried about what would happen in Mumbai. That was the first relief.” Soon, fans started recognising him on the streets. “Few younger boys stopped me and asked, ‘Are you Nikhil bhaiya?’ Everyone started calling me that.” What initially felt like simple popularity soon carried a deeper meaning. “Initially maza aata tha ki log photo le rahe hain, but when I realised people were relating to the character and sharing their own stories, I understood it’s something much deeper.”
Kohrra Season 2, which also stars Mona Singh and Barun Sobti, is available to watch on Netflix.
