Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Time ...

Dhoom Machaao Dhoom ''Dhoom Machaao Dhoom'' ( ''Rock Let's Rock'') is an Indian musical sitcom that aired on Disney Channel India from 8 January 2007 to 10 January 2008, totaling 100 episodes.Dharam Veer'' (2008), ''

Balika Vadhu ''Balika Vadhu'' () is an Indian soap opera that aired on Colors TV between 21 July 2008 to 31 July 2016 with 2,245 episodes. The story is set in rural Rajasthan and revolves around the life of a child bride from childhood to womanhood. Backg ...

'' (2009–2010) and '' Qubool Hai'' (2013). Massey expanded to films with supporting roles in ''

Lootera ''Lootera'' (, ; ''Robber'') is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and the second half is based on author O. Henry's 1907 short story " The Last Leaf". It is the second film directed by Motw ...

'' (2013), ''

Dil Dhadakne Do ''Dil Dhadakne Do'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language family film, family comedy drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the Excel Entertainment banner. The film has an ensemble cast of Anil Kap ...

'' (2015) and '' Half Girlfriend'' (2017). The independent drama ''

A Death in the Gunj ''A Death In The Gunj'' is a 2016 Indian English-language drama film written and directed by Konkona Sen Sharma. The film features an ensemble cast of Vikrant Massey, Tillotama Shome, Om Puri, Tanuja, Gulshan Devaiah, Kalki Koechlin, Jim S ...

'' (2017), in which Massey had a leading role, marked a turning point in his career. He subsequently appeared in the biographical drama '' Chhapaak'' (2020), romantic comedy ''

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare ''Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare'' () is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language film starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar. The film is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and is produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under their banner ...

'' (2020), mystery thriller '' Haseen Dillruba'' (2021), family drama '' Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi'' (2021), and romantic thriller '' Love Hostel'' (2022). Massey also had leading roles in the streaming series ''

Mirzapur Mirzapur () is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for its carpets and brassware industries, and the tradition of kajari and birha music. Straddled by the Kaimur extension of Vindhya mountains, it served as the headquarters of t ...

'' (2018), ''

Broken But Beautiful ''Broken But Beautiful'', abbreviated as ''BBB'' is a 2018 Hindi romance web series, created by Ekta Kapoor, and available on video on demand platforms and ALTBalaji/MX Player. The series revolves around love, heartbreaks and never ending roman ...

'' (2018–2019) and ''

Criminal Justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

'' (2019). In 2023, he portrayed the lead role of Manoj Kumar Sharma in the biographical film ''

12th Fail ''12th Fail'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film directed, produced and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is based on the 2019 eponymous non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme pove ...

'' (2023), which emerged as a

sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...

and earned him the

Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Superlatives * The record of the maximum number of wins in this category is with Amitabh Bachchan having won the award ...

.

Early life

Massey was born on 3 April 1987, to a

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

mother and a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

father, Meena and Jolly Massey. He has an older brother who took the name Moeen following his

conversion to Islam Reversion to Islam, also known within Islam as reversion, is adopting Islam as a religion or faith. Conversion requires a formal statement of the '' shahādah'', the credo of Islam, whereby the prospective convert must state that "there is none w ...

at 17. Despite his multi-faith background, Massey himself is not religious, saying that "religion is man-made." Massey's parents were childhood sweethearts who eloped and got married. Belonging to a

middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

family, originally from

Shimla Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...

,

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

, Massey was born and raised by his parents in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

,

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. Massey's educational background consists of attending St. Anthony's High School in Versova with further studies being completed from R. D. National College of Arts & Science in

Bandra Bandra ( æːɳɖɾa is a coastal suburb located in Mumbai, the largest city of the Konkan division in Maharashtra, India. The area is located to the immediate north of the River Mithi, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district. It ...

, Mumbai. Being a well-trained dancer, he forayed onto stage with small-time dancing and theatre performances at the age of 7. With support and guidance from his teachers and school principal, he took up performing arts as a career choice at quite a young age. He enjoys traveling, playing cricket, and video games in his free time.

Career

Work in television soap operas (2007–2013)

Massey started his career with television and made his acting debut in 2007, portraying Aamir Hassan in ''

Dhoom Machaao Dhoom ''Dhoom Machaao Dhoom'' ( ''Rock Let's Rock'') is an Indian musical sitcom that aired on Disney Channel India from 8 January 2007 to 10 January 2008, totaling 100 episodes.contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

or

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

dancer and has worked with

Shiamak Davar Shiamak Davar is an Indian choreographer, noted as one of the first to bring contemporary jazz and western forms of dance to India. In 2008, he portrayed one of the titular prince Dharam in '' Dharam Veer'' alongside Rajat Tokas. Massey found success with his portrayal of Shyam Singh, a supportive husband opposite Veebha Anand in ''

Balika Vadhu ''Balika Vadhu'' () is an Indian soap opera that aired on Colors TV between 21 July 2008 to 31 July 2016 with 2,245 episodes. The story is set in rural Rajasthan and revolves around the life of a child bride from childhood to womanhood. Backg ...

'', portraying the character from 2009 to 2010. In his first lead role, Massey portrayed Murli Laal, who is married to a dwarf Bharti in ''

Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo ''Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo'' is an Indian television series that aired on Imagine TV from 20 September 2010 to 12 April 2012. It was written by Raakesh Paswan, Vandana Tiwari, Manoj Tripathi, Shilpa Choube, Susheel Choube, Mamta Kashyap, Raghuvir ...

'', from 2010 to 2011. In 2013, Massey portrayed Ayaan Ahmed Khan, one of the lead roles in '' Qubool Hai'' opposite Ketki Kadam. That same year, he hosted ''

V The Serial Vikas Gupta (born 7 May 1988) is an Indian television producer, creative director, screenwriter and host. He is known for participating in '' Bigg Boss 11'', '' Bigg Boss 14'' and hosting '' MTV Ace of Space''. Life Gupta was born on 7 May 19 ...

'' and ''

Yeh Hai Aashiqui ''Yeh Hai Aashiqui'' () is an Indian Hindi-language television romance anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characte ...

''. The 2014 show, ''Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai'', marked his final appearance on television before film debut.

Expansion to films and streaming series (2013–2023)

Massey made his Hindi film debut in

Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane (born 6 December 1976) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Hindi films and series. His directorial debut '' Udaan'' (2010) was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and als ...

's ''

Lootera ''Lootera'' (, ; ''Robber'') is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and the second half is based on author O. Henry's 1907 short story " The Last Leaf". It is the second film directed by Motw ...

'' (2013), alongside

Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh Bhavnani (; born 6 July 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Ranveer Singh, several awards, including five Filmfare Awards. He is among the highest- ...

and

Sonakshi Sinha Sonakshi Sinha (; born 2 June 1987) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. The daughter of actors and politicians Poonam Sinha, Poonam and Shatrughan Sinha, she has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity ...

. He played Singh's assistant and friend Devdas.

Taran Adarsh Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media, as well as his reviews for Bollywood Hungama. Career Taran Adarsh started his journ ...

found him to be "first-rate" in his supporting part. In 2015, he played a supporting role opposite Ridhima Sud in

Zoya Akhtar Zoya Akhtar (born 14 October 1972) is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi films and series. Born to Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, she completed a diploma in filmmaking from New York University, NYU and assisted dire ...

's ensemble family comedy-drama ''

Dil Dhadakne Do ''Dil Dhadakne Do'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language family film, family comedy drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the Excel Entertainment banner. The film has an ensemble cast of Anil Kap ...

'', which starred

Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Indian television and international films. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a ...

,

Shefali Shah Shefali Shah ( Shetty; born 22 May 1973) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Working primarily in independent Hindi films, she has received multiple local and foreign accolades for her performances. Shah's acting career star ...

,

Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is India's highest-paid actress and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and fiv ...

, Singh,

Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma (; born 1 May 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won many awards including Filmfare Awards and IIFA Awards. Sharma has appeared in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 in the 2010s and was featured by ''F ...

and

Farhan Akhtar Farhan Akhtar (born 9 January 1974) is an Indian actor, filmmaker and singer who works in Hindi films. Born to screenwriters Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, he established the production company Excel Entertainment, along with Ritesh Sidhwa ...

in lead roles. The film emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office. Massey's first lead role came with

Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma (; born 3 December 1979) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works primarily in Bengali and Hindi films. She has received several awards, including two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. The daughter of filmm ...

's debut directorial venture ''

A Death in the Gunj ''A Death In The Gunj'' is a 2016 Indian English-language drama film written and directed by Konkona Sen Sharma. The film features an ensemble cast of Vikrant Massey, Tillotama Shome, Om Puri, Tanuja, Gulshan Devaiah, Kalki Koechlin, Jim S ...

'' (2017). The film as well as his performance received critical acclaim. Film critic

Rajeev Masand Rajeev Masand (born 13 March 1976) is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films rel ...

described his performance as a heartfelt one. For his performance, he received his first nomination for the

Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Superlatives * The record of the maximum number of wins in this category is with Amitabh Bachchan having won the award ...

. In the same year, he appeared in '' Half Girlfriend'' and ''

Lipstick Under My Burkha ''Lipstick Under My Burkha'' is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language black comedy film written and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and produced by Prakash Jha. The film stars Ratna Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, ...

'', both being box office averages. Ananya Bhattacharya of ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

'' found him to be "earnest", in his role in the former. In 2018, Massey ventured into web show, with the highly-popular crime drama series ''

Mirzapur Mirzapur () is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for its carpets and brassware industries, and the tradition of kajari and birha music. Straddled by the Kaimur extension of Vindhya mountains, it served as the headquarters of t ...

''. That the same year, he played Veer, suffering from

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...

, opposite Harleen Sethi in ''

Broken But Beautiful ''Broken But Beautiful'', abbreviated as ''BBB'' is a 2018 Hindi romance web series, created by Ekta Kapoor, and available on video on demand platforms and ALTBalaji/MX Player. The series revolves around love, heartbreaks and never ending roman ...

''. In 2019, Massey appeared as a murder accused in ''

Criminal Justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

'' directed by

Tigmanshu Dhulia Tigmanshu Dhulia (born 3 July 1967) is an Indian film dialogue writer, director, actor, screenwriter, producer and casting director known for his works in Hindi cinema and Television. He wrote the dialogue for the 1998 film ''Dil Se..'', the fir ...

and Vishal Furia, Sanjukta Sharma of '' Scroll.in'' opined, "He slips into Aditya's skin without any effort showing, and makes his transformative journey compelling." He further played Nawab in ''

Made in Heaven ''Made In Heaven'' is the fifteenth and final studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It is the final studio album to ...

,'' a web series on two wedding planners in Delhi running an agency named Made in Heaven. In his last release that year, Massey also reprised Veer in the second season of ''Broken But Beautiful''. Ruchi Kaushal from ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'' stated: "Vikrant shines in emotional scenes and has the calibre to make a viewer weep with him." In his first film of 2020, Massey played the male lead opposite

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone (; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She is India's highest-paid actress, as of 2023, and List of awards and nominations received by Deepika Padukone, her accolades include thre ...

in

Meghna Gulzar Meghna Gulzar is an Indian writer, director and producer. She is best known for directing critically acclaimed films; '' Talvar'' (2015) and '' Raazi'' (2018). Born to Gulzar and actress Raakhee, Gulzar joined her father as an assistant to ...

's '' Chhapaak'', based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The film was a commercial failure, but

Sukanya Verma Sukanya Verma is an Indian journalist and film critic. She has been the principal movie reviewer with web portal '' Rediff.com''. She has written a number of columns as a freelance writer for ''The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English ...

stated: "Vikrant embodies a dour faced, wry-natured activist in Fabindia kurtas quite effectively." Massey then reunited with Shweta Tripathi in a science fiction ''

Cargo In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...

'', which also premiered at the 2019 MAMI Film Festival under the spotlight section Later, he played the lead in two

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

films: ''

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare ''Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare'' () is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language film starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar. The film is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and is produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under their banner ...

'' opposite

Bhumi Pednekar Bhumi Pednekar ( born 18 July 1989) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of headstrong small-town women, she is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards. After working as an assistant ...

and '' Ginny Weds Sunny'' opposite

Yami Gautam Yami Gautam Dhar ( Gautam; born 28 November 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. A daughter of film director Mukesh Gautam, she began her career as a model, and starred in television soap operas such as '' Chand Ke Paar Chalo' ...

. In 2021, Massey portrayed Rahul, who visits home for his grandfather's tehrvi in

Seema Pahwa Seema Bhargava Pahwa (née Bhargava; born 10 February 1962) is an Indian actress and director known for her varied characters in films and television. She is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award and a Filmfare OTT Award. ...

's directorial debut '' Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi''. After appearing in '' Switchh'', Massey portrayed Rishabh, an electrical engineer opposite

Taapsee Pannu Tapasee Pannu (born 1 August 1987), professionally known as Taapsee Pannu, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Tamil language, Tamil films. Pannu is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards and a Filmfare OTT Award ...

in '' Haseen Dillruba'', which emerged as the most-watched Hindi film on Netflix. The film earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

Shubhra Gupta Shubhra Gupta is an Indian film critic who writes for ''The Indian Express''. She received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Best Writing on Cinema in 2012. She was a member of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2012 to 2015. She is the au ...

from ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'' opined: "The only one who tries valiantly to rise, and succeeds in most places is Vikrant Massey". '' 14 Phere'' marked his final release that year. Based on inter-caste marriage issue, it saw him portray Sanjay opposite

Kriti Kharbanda Kriti Kharbanda (born 29 October 1990) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada and Telugu cinema, Telugu language films. Kharbanda is a recipient of several accolades including a South Indian In ...

. Anita Aikara of ''

Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...

'' was appreciative of his "delightfully simple role". Massey played Ahmed, a Muslim in love with a Hindu girl, opposite Sanya Malhotra, in his first release of 2022, '' Love Hostel''. Released on

ZEE5 ZEE5 or Z5 is an Indian subscription video on demand and over-the-top streaming service, owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched in India on 14 February 2018 with content in 12 languages. The ZEE5 mobile app is available on We ...

, it received mixed to positive reviews.

Anna M. M. Vetticad Anna Marie Mathew Vetticad is an Indian journalist, film critic, and cultural commentator. She has been in the field of journalism since 1994. Vetticad is known for her political critiques of Indian cinema and the Indian film industry. She is a ...

noted "Ashu's timidity is marked – and remarkably – distinct from Shutu's in ''A Death In The Gunj.'' The actor could, however, have done better than Ashu's wavering accent, which is jarring in climactic scene." He then played Forensic specialist Johnny alongside

Radhika Apte Radhika Apte () (born 7 September 1985) is an Indian film and television actress. She began acting in theatre and made her film debut with a brief role in the fantasy drama ''Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!'' (2005). Her first lead role was in the 2009 ...

, in Zee5's ''

Forensic Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...

'', a remake of the Malayalam film of the same name. ''

Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...

'' stated that Massey gives a "confident" performance and "suits the part", but added that in some places, he "tries" to be too funny and "fails". In 2023, Massey first played Kapil, manager of the king alongside

Sara Ali Khan Sara Ali Khan Pataudi (; born 12 August 1995) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born into the Pataudi family, she is the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan. Khan is a recipient of a Filmfare Award and appeared in ...

and

Chitrangada Singh Chitrangda Singh (born 30 August, 1976) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with the crime drama '' Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi'' (2005), which earned her the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Female De ...

in '' Gaslight'', which received mixed to negative reviews. Anuj Kumar of ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'' said, "Massey, as the manager of the missing Raja, keep the audience engaged till the big reveal arrives." He next played a youngster struggling in Mumbai, in the remake of the Tamil film '' Maanagaram'', titled, '' Mumbaikar'', which was released on

JioCinema JioCinema was an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Viacom18. The service was merged with Disney+ Hotstar on 14 February 2025, to form JioHotstar. In April 2022, the service was brought under Relianc ...

.

''12th Fail'' and beyond (2023–present)

The 2023 film, ''

12th Fail ''12th Fail'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film directed, produced and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is based on the 2019 eponymous non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme pove ...

'', marked a significant point in Massey's career. He portrayed Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an IPS officer. Monika Rawal Kukreja of ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'' termed the film his "career-best" and noted, "Massey takes the cake for delivering a brilliant performance. At every step, he brings a myriad of shades to his character. He owns up Manoj's character in all aspects." Deepa Gahlot of ''

Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...

'' praised Massey for giving a performance of such "unalloyed brilliance". The film emerged as

sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...

, grossing over worldwide, and won him the Film fare Critics Award for Best Actor. In his first release of 2024, Massey played a crime reporter in '' Blackout'' alongside Mouni Roy and Ruhani Sharma, which received negative reviews from critics who were critical of his performance. Massey then reunited with Taapsee Pannu in ''

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba '' Aayi Hasseen Dillruba'' () is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film directed by Jayprad Desai and written by Kanika Dhillon. Produced by Colour Yellow Productions and T-Series Films. A sequel to the 2021 film '' Haseen Dillruba' ...

'', reprising his character from the original. Kartik Bhardwaj of ''

The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...

'' opined that Vikrant, an otherwise convincing actor, "has nothing to chew on". He then played a psychopath murderer in '' Sector 36'', which is loosely based on

2006 Noida serial murders The 2006 Noida serial murders (also Nithari serial murders or Nithari case) occurred in the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector-31, Noida near Nithari village, Uttar Pradesh, India, between 2005 and 2006. Moninder Singh was ...

. Shomini Sen of ''

WION WION (World is One News) is an Indian English language news channel headquartered in Noida, India. WION is owned by the Essel Group and is a part of the Zee Media network of channels, whose majority owner is Subhash Chandra and family. As o ...

'' was appreciative of his performance and added that he proves his "mastery over his craft". Following this, he played a photojournalist opposite

Raashii Khanna Raashii Khanna (born 30 November 1990) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her acting debut in a supporting role with the Hindi film '' Madras Cafe'' (2013) and subsequently appeared in Telugu film ...

in '' The Sabarmati Report'', based on the 2002

Godhra train burning The Godhra train burning occurred on the morning of 27 February 2002, when 59 Hindu pilgrims and '' karsevaks'' returning from Ayodhya were killed in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station in Gujarat, India. The c ...

incident. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but Rishabh Suri from ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'' termed his performance "effective". In 2024, he was honored with the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the

55th International Film Festival of India The 55th International Film Festival of India took place from 20 to 28 November 2024 at Panaji, Goa. The theme of this year's festival is 'Young Filmmakers – The Future is Now', so this year a new section and award category 'Best Debut Direct ...

. In December 2024, Massey announced a career hiatus on Instagram, citing a desire to focus on his family.

Personal life

Some reports mention that Massey and actress

Sheetal Thakur Sheetal Massey (née Thakur) born and known professionally as Sheetal Thakur is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of ...

began dating in 2015, but became closer while working on the series ''

Broken But Beautiful ''Broken But Beautiful'', abbreviated as ''BBB'' is a 2018 Hindi romance web series, created by Ekta Kapoor, and available on video on demand platforms and ALTBalaji/MX Player. The series revolves around love, heartbreaks and never ending roman ...

'' (2018). Other reports mention that Massey and Thakur met on the sets of the series and began dating. Massey and Thakur got engaged in November 2019, and registered their marriage on 14 February 2022. On 18 February 2022, Massey married Thakur, in a traditional ceremony in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

. They have one child, a son born on 7 February 2024.

Artistry and media image

Dipti Nagpaul D'Souza of ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'' stated that Massey has always played "likeable roles" in television soaps. ''

Asianet News Asianet News is an Indian Malayalam-language free-to-air news channel, operated by the Asianet News Network, a subsidiary of Asianxt Digital Technologies. The channel is based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Asianet News is currently one of th ...

'' termed him "one of the finest actors" of his generation and added, "Throughout his prolific career, he has consistently chosen unconventional roles that have left a lasting impression on audiences." ''

Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...

'' noted, "Vikrant has been consistently prolific and made a mark with every performance, regardless of the scope, nature or length of a role." Priyanka Roy from ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' said, "Vikrant, who's had success across mediums, is that rare breed who doesn't shun the relatively smaller parts even when he's now transitioned to lead roles." Massey is known for playing characters that the audience relates to. Prateek Sur of ''

Outlook Outlook or The Outlook may refer to: Computing * Microsoft Outlook, also referred to as ''the classic Outlook'' an e-mail client and personal information management software product from Microsoft * Outlook for Windows, also referred to as ''the ...

'' agreed and noted, "One will find the character living the best up to his potential on the screen when Vikrant is playing it. He has always justified himself as a performer." Kartik Bhardwaj of ''

The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...

'' said that Massey brings "easy relatability" to his roles, he noted, "On account of the nuanced roles he generally excels in, Massey might not come across as a song-and-dance actor but you feel an air of gentle reassurance in his character." Hitanshi Kamdar of ''

Grazia ''Grazia'' (; ; stylized in all caps) is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, In ...

'' added, "Massey has essayed a litany of easy-going and complex characters over the course of his unmistakably impressive career trajectory." Members of the film industry have praised Massey for his talent. Filmmaker

Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards. He is known for directing films ...

termed him one of the finest actors of the country. His ''A Death in the Gunj'' director

Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma (; born 3 December 1979) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works primarily in Bengali and Hindi films. She has received several awards, including two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. The daughter of filmm ...

called him a "receptive actor" and said, "Vikrant got a sense of the character from the script and made it his own. It's important to note that he's not only capable of playing someone vulnerable and diffident ike his character in Gunjbut also someone more gregarious and volatile because he can pick up what is required." For his performance in 2020, ''

Eastern Eye The ''Eastern Eye'' is a British weekly newspaper, published every Friday. It was created in 1989 and was first published by ''The Guardian'', before becoming a standalone newspaper. History Sarwar Ahmed founded the ''Eastern Eye'' from hi ...

'' placed Massey at 48th position in its "Top 50 Asian Celebrities " list. Subhash K. Jha of ''

Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...

'' and Santanu Das of ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'' placed Massey in their "Top Performance of 2023" list, for ''12th Fail''. His performance in ''A Death in the Gunj'', is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by ''

Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...

''. In addition to his acting career, Massey is a celebrity endorser for brands and products such as Lenskart, Cornetto,

Cadbury Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. ...

,

ICICI Bank ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational bank and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai with a registered office in Vadodara. It offers a wide range of banking and financial services for corporate and retail customers throu ...

,

Nescafé Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee sold by the multinational food and drink corporation Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee br ...

,

Longines Compagnie des Montres Longines, Francillon S.A., or simply Longines (), is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Founded by Agassiz family, Auguste Agassiz in 1832, the company has been a subsidiary of the Swiss The Swatch G ...

and

Samsung Galaxy Samsung Galaxy (; stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omitted the Samsung branding up until 2023), previously stylized as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of computing, Android mobile computing and wear ...

. During the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic, Massey collaborated with Citta, to provide emotional support to the patients. In 2020, he also appeared in

Jonita Gandhi Jonita Gandhi (born October 23, 1989), credited professionally as Jonita, is a Canadian singer known for her work in the Indian film and music industries. Since 2024, she has performed as a solo pop artist by releasing her debut Independent E ...

's music video #AageKiSoch, to create awareness related to the pandemic.

Filmography

Films

Television

Short films

Accolades

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Massey, Vikrant 1987 births Living people Indian male television actors Indian choreographers Indian atheists Male actors in Hindi cinema People from Himachal Pradesh Actors from Shimla Male actors from Himachal Pradesh