Vihaan Samat: I am not hungry for stardom; I want good work to connect with the audience at the moment

Vihaan Samat has been enjoying a massive fan following with amazing performances right from ‘Mismatched’ to ‘Eternally Confused And Eager for Love’. The actor made his debut with the 2020 film 'Worth' and since then he’s come a long way. For someone who’s just started out and is finding a place in the industry, the 26-year-old actor calls his journey enriching and is keen on taking up challenges which are out of his comfort zone. ETimes reached out to him for a quick chat on how he’s navigating his career on the web, his biggest influences for becoming an actor and all things in between.

It’s been 5 months since the release of Eternally Confused and Eager For Love. It’s a very relatable show for Gen-Z . What are people telling you?

The response has been overwhelming and amazing. It’s such a light-hearted and fun watch and of course very relatable for the younger audience who are chasing love. A lot of people come up to me and acknowledge that they really relate to the material.

The critic reviews have been quite good. I'm really thankful for that. I don't know how you define hit on the web, necessarily, but I'm really grateful that I could do a kind of show which is loved by youngsters.

Did you anticipate the show's success when you were offered the script?

Honestly, I had full faith in the show once I read the script. I felt it was really something special. I knew I was getting a very truthful, pure and committed voice in the script. It was my first time shooting for like 50 days straight.

I didn't know much about who was backing the project and everything. I didn’t know about my co-stars. I only knew that Rahul Bose and Suchitra Pillai will be playing my parents in the show. I just stayed committed to my character Ray and let my director Raul handle the rest. And thankfully, it worked out.

And very recently, Priyanka Chopra too applauded my work and that recognition really means a lot. It’s an honour to be mentioned by her. I'm glad that people are loving the show. I really connected with Ray's character and it was an awesome journey. I'm excited to see what the future holds for me now.

Many people were also critical of the show, calling it too urban and upper-class...

I think it’s interesting and disheartening when people try to not focus on the message of the show but cherry-pick certain elements of it to give them a reason not to watch it. In the US, there is a show called Succession, which is literally on Billionaires. No one calls it a show of rich people, therefore, alienating it. Even in India, I mean, if you see ‘Made in Heaven’ the characters are not like you’d find them closely relatable, but people did find parts they could relate and hold on to.

I think a good piece of art should be treated the way it should be and one shouldn't extract thematic elements from it too. When it comes to ‘ECEL’, it’s about a guy who’s unable to connect and meet new people because of a voice inside his head that doesn't let him do so, which happens to so many people. I am happy with the feedback and the reactions that I’ve been getting. Many people have walked up to me and said they relate to Ray.

What were the biggest takeaways from your journey so far?

My journey has been great and enriching. In the few years that I’ve started working, I’ve managed to get a couple of good shows, for which I am extremely thankful. OTT has made that possible.

I would say, patience is very, very necessary to survive in this industry. I started my career in the peak months of lockdown. It was a pretty difficult time. Waiting and giving auditions. Things were happening very slowly. I was anxious but at the same time, I kept calm knowing that this phase will also pass. There was this fear of uncertainty. But eventually, good work and opportunities have come my way. I am learning to come out of my comfort zone every day.

So yes, I learned a very important lesson about being patient. I still have a long way to go here. You just have to mentally be strong and have thick skin. I am still a work in progress. One day, I'll be fine.

Growing up, what were your biggest influences that made you choose this field?

I’ve grown up watching and loving the work of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. I love watching people perform. Even in school, I was always intrigued by extracurricular activities, especially which involved stage performances. I felt a different kind of buzz, whenever I used to be on stage. And every time I executed a line or a scene well, the amount of cheer and the love I received from the viewers, felt really good.

I realised early that I should be free from the constraints of a classroom, and the never-ending tests. I just really wanted to be creative and expressive. And when you grow up in Mumbai, you are so surrounded by films, Bollywood, that you are always exposed to it.

I wanted to be an actor, stand-up comic, singer, dancer, director or something creative. My parents were supportive but they did feel that when I grow up, I’d have different priorities. I never didn't grow out of it, but I would eliminate one every year. First, the stand-up comedian bit, and then the director, and so on.

I was very certain I wanted to study acting. So that's when I decided I want to go to college and learn more from the source. And that's when I realised, this is what I want to do. And it's not been easy. Of course, I've second-guessed myself a couple of times as humans do. But you just have to take that leap of faith and give that shot.

Since you had started out in the US. What made you come back to India?

For actors like me, there are many more opportunities in India than outside. The US might have a more mature industry in acting, but I always knew I wanted to study and come back. I did work here as much as I could. They have blind casting, fair casting and ethnically ambiguous casting. But again the kind of roles that I was being offered were always like being an immigrant and all.

I've realised that I've been accepted way more for who I am in India.

What’s your approach to building your career and enhancing your stardom?

I am not worried about stardom at the moment. I just think I'm an actor who's gotten some sort of acclaim from people who have watched my work. I feel very happy when people come to me and say they've watched my show.

Maybe, in my head, I know that I'm probably destined for greater things when it comes to acting, but we'll get there one day. Till then I just have to keep my head down, keep working and just do the absolute best I can.

I just want to be able to play as many characters as I can, and really make an impression with each one. I don't want to take on anything just for the sake of it.

I've been very lucky to work with directors like Akarsh Khurrana when we got ‘Mismatched’. He is lovely to work with, I'm still working with him for plays. And I've also found a lifelong friend in Rahul (Nair). I think my journey has been doctored with people who have taken a chance, and I hope I've been able to repay them. And I hope they'll have more chances in the future.

Indian entertainment is actually going through a very transitional phase, with the majority of work happening on the web. Is it challenging to find your own ground here?

I think there’s healthy competition. There’s so much work happening today. I genuinely wish the best for everyone. And I feel like the industry has a way of finding you if they know what's right for you. There is merit to pushing and hustling, getting in there and making sure you have the right opportunities. But beyond the point, there are decision-makers and there are people in the industry for years, and they know what will work and what doesn't work. And if they go to someone else with their project instead of you, there's probably a good reason for that.

So I don't take things personally, I of course try my best, I try to get as many rooms as possible and meet as many people as possible. And I genuinely feel like I can do a lot of things. And human beings are limitless, and they can be limitless in their careers as well. So I push as much as possible, try things out of what people have seen me because it's easy to get typecast here.

What are the kinds of projects and characters that you are keen on taking?

I want to take up projects that push me to be a better actor every day. I have a deep interest in doing biopics, and science fiction films. I am also intrigued by investigative thrillers too. I just want to work with good people and take up great projects.

Mismatched 2 releasing soon. What can people expect from Season 2?

Mismatched will actually have a lot of ups and downs in Season 2. There’s going to be a lot of drama, and love. You can expect a truckload of emotions to be thrown at you. The makers have taken stuff to a whole new level in terms of production, design and everything. You'll see a very enhanced experience and hence understand why we've taken so long to bring you season two. I do hope it will match the people's expectations because people have been waiting a long time.