Vikkas Manaktala started his acting career with Rajeev Khandelwal’s Left Right Left in 2006. After a hiatus of 5 years, he returned to the small screens with Main Naa Bhoolungi and later went on to feature in popular shows like Jhansi Ki Rani, Ghulaam and more.
Recently, he enthralled the audience with his role in season 2 of the hit spy series Special Ops, led by Kay Kay Menon. Vikkas plays the role of R&Aw agent Abhay Singh, who is on a mission to nab those behind the murder of senior agent Vinod Shekhawat (played by Tota Roy Chowdhury). Special Ops 2 also marks Vikkas’ OTT debut.
In an exclusive interview with Republic World, Vikkas opened up about essaying a soldier onscreen, 19 years after he played one in his debut show Left Right Left. Hailing from the TV industry, infamous for its strenuous work hours, the actor also shared his take on the trending 8-hour shift debate in the entertainment industry.
Vikkas Manaktala is overwhelmed with the response to Special Ops 2
Vikkas shared that he is excited to return to the action genre in Special Ops 2, almost two decades after his show Left Right Left. “The love that continues from Left Right Left has been enormous. The love that came into me as Amardeep Huda is now magnified with Abhay. So, I embrace it with a lot of gratitude in my heart, and I’m happy that people like me,” he said.
Is Vikkas in favour of 8-hour shifts in the film/TV industry?
Vikkas has transitioned from TV to the OTT space with Special Ops 2. When asked about his take on the long work hours in the TV industry (shifts last up to 12-hour) and his take on whether an 8-hour shift should be implemented, the actor shared that, according to him, long hours are not “regressive”, but the content can be. Vikkas feels the demands of a TV show, a web series or a film shoot are different.
“But as far as I know, the associations that are there for producers and actors have really made it easy for everyone that it is now stipulated to 12-hour. And of course, there are instances when you need to do an extra hour, depending on the timeline and the delivery of the show that you are working on and the pressure that you have in terms of production and in terms of finances, managing all of them,” he said.
For Vikkas, the project he is working on takes precedence, and if it requires 12-hour or longer, he is in on it. However, he believes that people’s requirements are different and not many may approve of such long working hours. Having said that, Vikkas added that if makers implement an 8-hour shift as a standard practice, it will “take away” something from the project.
Addressing Deepika Padukone’s alleged exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit over her 8-hour shift demand, Vikkas said it is “fair” for her to ask the same, as she is a mother and it is not easy to juggle one’s professional and personal life at such a juncture. “It was Deepika Padukone’s initiative or request for the same, I think it was also to do with her immediately having just become a new mother and taking on a new role. Juggling between the two, I would like to believe that it was that. And I don’t feel that it is unfair,” the actor shared.
For Vikkas, work hours are an individual’s choice. “12-hour is good. I am so used to doing the same on television. It doesn’t bother me. Television has prepared us for this. And we worked for a 2-3 days stretch. It was a very normal thing to do on television. Now, obviously, everyone doesn’t like 12-hour, but I am so used to it that it seems like a cakewalk. The point is, for me, it’s not just about being on a set for that long. It’s about what you’re doing on the set and what value you’re adding to what you dare to do. I think that is far more important, and when you shift your focus there, then everything else seems unimportant,” Vikkas said.
When asked about his upcoming projects after Special Ops 2, Vikkas said he is in early talks for a few, and something will be announced soon.