Exclusive: Star Kids Have Their Own Challenges, Says Hutatma Actor Vaibhav Tatwawaadi

It’s hard to shine when a powerful actor such as Ranveer Singh takes center stage. But Vaibhav Tatwawaadi held his ground and how in Bajirao Mastani, where he played Chimaji Appa. Though the actor had been seen in other films, it was this role that put him on the map. He went on to work in Lipstick Under My Burkha and Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi. Vaibhav has also worked in Marathi films such as Coffee Ani Barach Kahi and Shortcut. The actor is all set to be seen in ZEE5’s original Marathi series Hutatma, that tells the history of Maharashtra and how it became an independent state.

Watch the trailer of the series here.

In an exclusive interview with us, the actor started by speaking about the series and how important it is for the youth to watch it. “Everyone should know the story of Maharashtra. Our generation takes things for granted since we were born in an independent country. But people need to know what happened here and why the Hutatma Chowk in Mumbai is called so,” he says.

Vaibhav says he always knew he wanted to become an actor and participated in several school plays. When asked whether he believes the struggle for outsiders is harder in comparison to star kids, the actor says, “The first break is easy for star kids because an actor’s mother or father has worked in the industry for many years. But they have their own set of challenges. For example, in his first movie Saawariya, Ranbir Kapoor was compared to his father Rishi Kapoor, who has done more than 100 films. Just like an outsider has to face his/her own own challenges, so does an insider. It all eventually depends on your dedication and talent.”

Speaking of his experience in both Bollywood and Marathi industries, Vaibhav says that the two are “more or less the same.” “What differs however is probably the budget but that is not according to the language. In Marathi cinema, you have medium budget films and high budget films and same is the case with Hindi films. The canvas however differs sometimes. I did Lipstick Under My Burkha which was a medium budget film and I also did Bajirao Mastani which was a 100 crore film. The difference is the scale at which the director wants to tell the story,” he says.

The actor has a huge fan following on social media. Does he consider it a boon or a bane? “I am not the sort of a person who will take a selfie and tell the world what I’m up to,” says Vaibhav, adding, “But it has become a part of my profession, especially when it comes to promoting my work. One reality check that everyone needs is that they may have a lot of friends on social media where in reality they may be lonely. That’s the irony. It’s a virtual world but people need to stop living in that world.”

Talking about whether online trolls affect him, Vaibhav maintains that it’s also the responsibility of an actor to act appropriate on social media. “As a public figure, you too need to act in a responsible way. Regarding trolls, I’ll say that there’s a certain decorum that people should maintain online, the way they do when meeting one another in person.”

Web content has seen a major boost with several online series doing well. Does this post a threat to films? “You can say that nowadays-especially in cities where people are working six days a week- the trend has become of spending that one Sunday binge watching online shows. But I’ll still say that the craze for films will never go in India,” says Vaibhav.

Do you agree with the actor’s view points? Post your comments in the section below and don’t forget to catch the  Hutatma streaming exclusively on ZEE5. 

Watch Vaibhav’s film Cheater, streaming on ZEE5 .