Actor Vikrant Massey, who plays a rape and murder accused in Criminal Justice, tells Ayushi Sharma that a discussion on the Indian Judicial System is a never-ending one
India or rather Indians do not cover themselves in glory when it comes to to sexual assault and crimes against women. Despite formulating numerous women-friendly laws and doing away with outdated ones, the country still has a long way to go in delivering justice to many rape victims.
Criminal Justice, a crime drama captures Aditya Sharma’s (played by Vikrant Massey) journey, as one fateful incident completely turns his life around. He is ambitious but is aware of his middle-class roots, a boy who drives his father’s cab to add to the family income. But his life turns upside down when during his last trip for the night, he ends up being accused of rape and brutal murder of his passenger. As skeletons tumble out of his closet, one begins to wonder whether Aditya is innocent or guilty of the terrible crime?
Vikrant apprises us that playing the character of someone who has been accused of rape and murder took a mental toll on him. He says that he had to prepare “quite a lot” in comparison to what he has done earlier. The character required a lot of intensity as well as a huge amount of research. From the nuances of Indian prisons to the life of criminals locked inside, “every little detail was important.” He says, “It was torturing, be it physically, emotionally or mentally.”
The actor feels that one can never even imagine being in that position or envision what it is like to be an accused. “Hence, it becomes even more difficult to put yourself in that person’s shoes and be in that mindset. I have never been to jail and have always lead a very happy and protected life.” (Touches wood). He goes on to add, “System jaise Aditya ko todta hai, main vaise kabhi nahi toota (I have never been as broken as the way the system breaks Aditya). There were days when it made me emotionally drained, but that is what all powerful stories do,” says the actor who is going to star opposite Deepika Padukone in the forthcoming film Chhapaak.
As an artist, to be in the mental state of the character is important for him to live it “as when you are mentally ready for something, your body, gestures and everything else follows you automatically.”
The show is the Indian adaptation of the renowned BBC’s eponymously-named series, which was later adapted into the Emmy Award-winning HBO show The Night of. Vikrant says that the show is relevant and has been moulded to Indian preferences. “We obviously knew the sensibilities of Indian audience and that they differ in many ways — culturally as well as in terms of traditions. I wanted Aditya to be that one boy which every family has. The whole structure of the show is based on the Indian Judicial System.”
When asked about what he thinks of the judicial procedures of India, Vikrant laughed and said that the topic was very lengthy and no amount of time would be sufficient to discuss it. “I don’t think main iska jawab aadhe ghante me bhi de paunga. There are pros and cons of everything. It is up to us how we contribute towards any kind of change,” he says.
Rather than feeling apprehensive while working with veteran actors like Pankaj Tripathi and Jackie Shroff, Vikrant feels that it’s an opportunity for him. “There is a sense of motivation. I had a fan boy moment with Jackie Shroff ji. It was incredible seeing him in person, almost like a dream come true. I still remember when I was a kid and he was shooting and I was one of the hundreds of people standing there and trying to get a glimpse. I never thought I’ll work with him,” says the Mirzapur actor.
(It will air on Hotstar from April 5.)