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Sham Kaushal, veteran stunt director, opens up about the challenging path his sons, actors Vicky and Sunny Kaushal, faced in Bollywood.
Stunt director Sham Kaushal shares the early struggles of his son Vicky Kaushal in Bollywood, recalling Vicky’s audition rejections and how he inspired them to persevere.
Stunt director Sham Kaushal recently opened up about the early struggles his sons, actors Vicky Kaushal and Sunny Kaushal, faced in Bollywood, recalling the rejections and even humiliations Vicky endured during auditions.
Sham emphasized the importance of education for his sons, enrolling them in “normal schools” to instill discipline and hard work. Although surprised when they expressed a desire to join the film industry, he felt he couldn’t deny them the opportunity, given his own career in cinema. “I couldn’t say no because I was earning from the same industry. I thought someone might offer them tea out of respect for me, but nobody would invest crores in a film with them. However, since I also came from a village and worked hard, I believed that if they stayed honest and put in effort, they would not be denied,” he shared.
Sham clarified that while he supported them as a father, he never used his position to advance their careers professionally. “As an action director, I never approached anyone to give them work,” he said.
He recounted how Vicky sometimes faced dismissive treatment during auditions, with people saying, “Vicky ka kya audition lena.” Yet, Sham encouraged his sons to transform any insult into motivation, saying, “Until you experience humiliation, you won’t truly grow. Make that insult your strength.” Vicky’s persistence saw him working hard for several years before landing a breakthrough role.
Recalling Vicky’s hesitance to accept a small role early in his career, Sham said, “Vicky told me that he got a 3-4 scene in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana and many people were telling him not to do that small role, but I always believe beggars can’t be choosers and I told him to listen to his heart. He later called me and said that ‘I keep looking for work and they are giving me work so I want to do it.’ I stood by his decision.”
Vicky Kaushal ventured into Bollywood as an assistant director for this 2012 film and has since not looked back. Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna will soon be seen sharing the screen space together for a one-of-a-kind historical drama ‘Chhava’. The movie will star Vicky as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, while Rashmika Mandanna will step into the role of Yesubai Bhonsale. As the fans wait eagerly to see their favourite stars in an intense historical drama, Vicky Kaushal recently announced that he has wrapped shooting for the film.
The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, and Divya Dutta in key roles. According to a report by Pinkvilla, actor Neil Bhoopalam has also been roped in to portray the character of a Mughal prince in the film. Chaava marks the second collaboration between Vicky Kaushal and director Laxman Utekar after Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.
Apart from Chaava, Vicky Kaushal has a stunning lineup of projects in his kitty. He is set to feature in director Shashank Khaitan’s comedy-drama Mr. Lele, alongside Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar. Additionally, he is scheduled to appear in Rajkumar Santoshi’s upcoming film Lahore 1947, which also features Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol. Vicky also has Karan Johar’s next untitled production venture opposite Tripti Dimri and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Love & War’ co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.