Vikrant Massey

Vikrant Massey (born April 3, 1987, Bombay [now Mumbai], Maharashtra, India) is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi cinema and television. Regarded as one of 21st-century Bollywood’s most unconventional stars, Massey is known for his roles in offbeat films and his naturalistic acting style. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he has no family connections in Bollywood, where power is traditionally centered on its many film dynasties. He is thus perceived as a rare success among “outsiders,” as those without prior links in the Indian movie industry are often called.

Early years and TV career

Vikrant Massey grew up in an interfaith household in Mumbai. His father, Jolly Massey, is Christian, his mother, Meena Massey, is Sikh, and his brother converted to Islam and took the name Moeen. Vikrant Massey attended St. Anthony’s High School and R.D. National College, both in Mumbai. While a student he worked for two years with the dance troupe of noted choreographer Shiamak Davar and then at a coffee shop.

Massey began his career in television, with roles in the shows Dhoom Machaao Dhoom (2007; “Rock, Let’s Rock”) and Dharam Veer (2008; “Religious Warrior”). His breakthrough was in the popular show Balika Vadhu (2009–10; “Child Bride”), in which he played Shyam, who marries the central character Anandi’s sister-in-law. From there he progressed to playing lead roles in the shows Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo (2010–12; “Father, Find Me Such a Groom”) and Qubool Hai (2013; “I Accept”), and he was considered one of the most promising TV actors of the time.

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Bollywood breakthrough

Vikrant Massey made his Bollywood debut in Lootera (2013; “Robber”) as the con man Devdas, who is the partner in crime of the male lead, played by Ranveer Singh. Lootera was followed by a role in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015; “Let the Heart Beat”), a family drama set on board a cruise ship. The film featured an ensemble cast that included Singh, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Anushka Sharma, and Anil Kapoor. Massey gained national attention and was nominated for a Filmfare Award for his performance in the layered drama A Death in the Gunj (2016), playing the lead role of Shutu, a sensitive young misfit struggling with social and romantic rejection. His next films were a mix of commercial—Half Girlfriend (2017) and Chhapaak (2020; “Splash”), the latter costarring Deepika Padukone—and offbeat—Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016) and Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi (2019; “Ramprasad’s Tehrvi,” the word tehrvi referring to a Hindu religious rite that takes place 13 days after a death).

Streaming career

Massey began acting in streaming platform shows in 2017 with Rise and the crime drama series Mirzapur (2018–20; named for its fictionalized setting), in which he played a gangster named Bablu Pandit. He continued acting in web series such as Broken but Beautiful (2018–19), Criminal Justice (2019), and Made in Heaven (2019–23). He also starred in the film Haseen Dillruba (“Beautiful Beloved”), which was released on Netflix in 2021 and became one of the platform’s most-watched Hindi movies of that year. Massey received a second Filmfare Award nomination for his performance. Other films for streamers followed, such as Gaslight (2023) and a sequel to Haseen Dillruba titled Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024; “Beautiful Beloved Is Back”).

12th Fail and beyond

Vikrant Massey’s rise to stardom was accelerated by the unexpected and extraordinary success of the film 12th Fail (2023), based on the true story of police officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, who performed poorly in school but eventually cleared a government examination that would enable him to serve on the police force. Massey’s performance in the lead role resonated with critics as well as with fans, and he won the National Film Award for best actor in August 2025, sharing the prize with Shah Rukh Khan, who won the award for Jawan (2023; “Soldier”). Massey’s subsequent work includes the films The Sabarmati Report (2024) and Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan (2025; “Impudence of the Eyes”), neither of which matched the popularity of 12th Fail.

In 2024 Massey prompted media speculation after posting an ambiguous message on social media that appeared to announce his retirement. He later clarified that he was on a temporary break to spend more time with his wife, Sheetal Thakur (married in 2022), and their son, Vardaan (born in 2024).

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