Vikrant Massey
Massey in 2024
Born	(1987-04-03)3 April 1987 (age 38) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India
Alma mater	R. D. National College
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2007–present
Spouse	Sheetal Thakur ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	1

Vikrant Massey (born 3 April 1987^[1]) is an Indian actor known for his work inHindi films and television.^[2] Noted for his versatility,^[3][4] Massey is the recipient of aNational Film Award and aFilmfare Award.

After completing his education fromR. D. National College, Massey made his acting debut with the seriesDhoom Machaao Dhoom (2007). He followed it up with notable roles in TV serials such asDharam Veer (2008),Balika Vadhu (2009–2010) andQubool Hai (2013).^[5] He progressed to Hindi cinema with supporting roles inLootera (2013) andDil Dhadakne Do (2015), but got his breakthrough with the independent dramaA Death in the Gunj (2017).^[6][7]

Massey further starred in streaming series such asMirzapur (2018),Broken But Beautiful (2018–2019) andCriminal Justice (2019). He continued to attain praise for his work inChhapaak (2020),Haseen Dillruba (2021) andLove Hostel (2022).^[8] A turning point in his career came with the biographical film12th Fail (2023), which emerged as asleeper hit and earned him theNational Film Award for Best Actor andFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.^[9][10]

Massey was born on 3 April 1987 inMumbai,^[11] to aSikh mother and aChristian father, Meena and Jolly Massey.^[12] He has an older brother who took the name Moeen following hisconversion to Islam at 17.^[13][14] Despite his multi-faith background, Massey himself is not religious, saying that "religion is man-made."^[15] Massey's parents were childhood sweethearts who eloped and got married.^[16] Belonging to amiddle-classChristian family, originally fromShimla,Himachal Pradesh, Massey was born and raised by his parents inMumbai,Maharashtra.^[17]

Massey's educational background consists of attending St. Anthony's High School inVersova with further studies being completed fromR. D. National College of Arts & Science inBandra, Mumbai.^[18] Being a well-trained dancer, he forayed onto stage with small-time dancing and theatre performances at the age of 7.^[2] 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 travelling, playing cricket, and video games in his free time.^[19]

Massey began his acting career with television, portraying Aamir Hassan inDhoom Machaao Dhoom (2007). He is also a trainedcontemporary orjazz dancer and has worked withShiamak Davar, and was a choreographer on the show.^[2][20] In 2008, he played Dharam inDharam Veer alongsideRajat Tokas.^[21]

Massey found success with his portrayal of Shyam Singh, a supportive husband oppositeVeebha Anand inBalika Vadhu, where he continued from 2009 to 2010.^[22] InBaba Aiso Varr Dhoondo (2010–11), he played his first lead role of Murli Laal.^[23][24] In a 2011Hindustan Times poll looking at "The Next Big Thing" among television actors, and judged by television veterans such asJ. D. Majethia,Rajan Shahi andVarun Badola, Massey's name was the only one among the male actors to have been selected by all three.^[25]

In 2013, Massey played the parallel lead inZee TV'sQubool Hai oppositeKetki Kadam.^[5] That same year, he hostedV The Serial andYeh Hai Aashiqui. The 2014 show,Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai, marked his final appearance on television before film debut.^[26]

Massey made his Hindi film debut inVikramaditya Motwane'sLootera (2013), in which he was featured as the friend of lead protagonist (Ranveer Singh).^[27]Taran Adarsh found him to be "first-rate" in his supporting part.^[28][29] Two years later, he had another supporting role alongside Singh inZoya Akhtar's ensemble family dramaDil Dhadakne Do (2015), which was a box office victory.^[30]

Massey's first lead role occurred inKonkona Sen Sharma's debut directorial, the critically acclaimed independent dramaA Death in the Gunj (2017). Film criticRajeev Masand described his performance as a heartfelt one.^[31] He received aFilmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) nomination.^[32] His other two releases of the year,Half Girlfriend andLipstick Under My Burkha were box office averages.^[33] Ananya Bhattacharya ofIndia Today found him to be "earnest", in his role in the former.^[34] In 2018, Massey ventured into web show with the highly-popular crime dramaMirzapur and also with the portrayal of aPTSD patient in the romantic dramaBroken But Beautiful.^[35][36]

In 2019, Massey appeared as a murder accused in his third consecutive web showCriminal Justice directed byTigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Furia.^[37] Sanjukta Sharma ofScroll.in opined, "He slips into Aditya's skin without any effort showing, and makes his transformative journey compelling."^[38] He reprised his character inBroken But Beautiful 2 and also headlinedMade in Heaven, a web series on two wedding planners in Delhi running an agency named Made in Heaven.^[39][40]

Massey began the new decade oppositeDeepika Padukone inMeghna Gulzar'sChhapaak (2020), based on the life of acid attack survivorLaxmi Agarwal.^[41] The film was a commercial failure, despite of positive critical reception;Sukanya Verma stated: "Vikrant embodies a dour faced, wry-natured activist in Fabindia kurtas quite effectively."^[42] He next appeared inCargo, which also premiered at the 2019MAMI Film Festival under the spotlight section.^[43][44][45]That year, he also headlined theNetflix filmsDolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare oppositeBhumi Pednekar andGinny Weds Sunny oppositeYami Gautam.^[23][46][47]

In 2021, Massey portrayed a man who visits home for his grandfather's tehrvi inSeema Pahwa's directorial debutRamprasad Ki Tehrvi.^[48] After the unremarkable ventureSwitchh, he played an electrical engineer oppositeTaapsee Pannu in the mystery thrillerHaseen Dillruba, which emerged as the most-watched Hindi film on Netflix and earned him his second Filmfare nomination.^[49]Shubhra Gupta fromThe Indian Express opined: "The only one who tries valiantly to rise, and succeeds in most places is Vikrant Massey".^[50] His last release of 2021,14 Phere, based on inter-caste marriage issue paired him withKriti Kharbanda.^[51] Anita Aikara ofRediff.com was appreciative of his "delightfully simple role".^[52]

Massey next essayed a Muslim man in love with a Hindu girl (played bySanya Malhotra) inLove Hostel (2022). Released onZEE5, it received mixed to positive reviews.^[53][54] His next consecutive Zee5 release wasForensic, a remake of the 2020 Malayalam filmof the same name.^[55]Bollywood Hungama 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".^[56] His first film of 2023 wasGaslight, which received mixed to negative reviews.^[57] Anuj Kumar ofThe Hindu said, "Massey, as the manager of the missing Raja, keep the audience engaged till the big reveal arrives."^[58] He next played a youngster struggling in Mumbai in a delayed projectMumbaikar, which was released onJioCinema.^[59]

His last release of 2023,Vidhu Vinod Chopra's biographical drama12th Fail, marked a significant point in Massey's career.^[60] He portrayed the real-life character ofManoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become anIPS officer.^[61] Monika Rawal Kukreja ofHindustan Times 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."^[62]Deepa Gahlot ofRediff.com praised Massey for giving a performance of such "unalloyed brilliance".^[63] The film emerged as asleeper hit, grossing over₹66 crore (US$7.8 million) worldwide, and won him theNational Film Award for Best Actor (shared withShah Rukh Khan forJawan) and Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).^[64][65]

In his first release of 2024, Massey played a crime reporter inBlackout alongsideMouni Roy andRuhani Sharma, which received negative reviews from critics who were critical of his performance.^[66][67] Massey then reunited with Taapsee Pannu inPhir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, reprising his character from the original.^[68][69] Kartik Bhardwaj ofThe New Indian Express opined that Vikrant, an otherwise convincing actor, "has nothing to chew on".^[70] He then played a psychopath murderer inSector 36, which is loosely based on2006 Noida serial murders.^[71] Shomini Sen ofWION was appreciative of his performance and added that he proves his "mastery over his craft".^[72] Following this, he played a photojournalist oppositeRaashii Khanna inThe Sabarmati Report, based on the 2002Godhra train burning incident.^[73][74] The film received mixed to negative reviews, but Rishabh Suri fromHindustan Times termed his performance "effective".^[75] Later that year, he was honoured with theIFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the55th International Film Festival of India.^[76] In December 2024, Massey announced a career hiatus on Instagram, citing a desire to focus on his family.^[77]

Massey started 2025 withAankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, where he played a visually impaired musician opposite Shanaya Kapoor.^[78][79] Nandini Ramnath stated, "Massey looks haggard in some scenes, as though unable to shoulder the burden of Jahaan’s misery."^[80] The film underperformed commercially.^[81]

Some reports mention that Massey and actressSheetal Thakur began dating in 2015, but became closer while working on the seriesBroken But Beautiful (2018).^[82][83] Other reports mention that Massey and Thakur met on the sets of the series and began dating.^[84][85] Massey and Thakur got engaged in November 2019,^[86][87] and registered their marriage on 14 February 2022.^[82] On 18 February 2022, Massey married Thakur, in a traditional HimachaliHindu ceremony in her ancestoral home inShahtalai,Bilaspur district inHimachal Pradesh.^[88][89][90] They have one child, a son born on 7 February 2024.^[91]

Dipti Nagpaul D'Souza ofThe Indian Express stated that Massey has always played "likeable roles" in television soaps.^[7]Asianet News 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."^[92]Film Companion noted, "Vikrant has been consistently prolific and made a mark with every performance, regardless of the scope, nature or length of a role."^[93] Priyanka Roy fromThe Telegraph 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."^[94]

Massey is known for playing characters that the audience relates to. Prateek Sur ofOutlook 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."^[95] Kartik Bhardwaj ofThe New Indian Express 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."^[96] Hitanshi Kamdar ofGrazia added, "Massey has essayed a litany of easy-going and complex characters over the course of his unmistakably impressive career trajectory."^[97]

Members of the film industry have praised Massey for his talent. FilmmakerVidhu Vinod Chopra termed him one of the finest actors of the country.^[98] HisA Death in the Gunj directorKonkona Sen Sharma 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 [like his character in Gunj] but also someone more gregarious and volatile because he can pick up what is required."^[99]

For his performance in 2020,Eastern Eye placed Massey at 48th position in its "Top 50 Asian Celebrities " list.^[100] Subhash K. Jha ofRediff.com and Santanu Das ofHindustan Times placed Massey in their "Top Performance of 2023" list, for12th Fail.^[101][102] His performance inA Death in the Gunj, is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" byFilm Companion.^[103] In addition to his acting career, Massey is a celebrity endorser for brands and products such asLenskart,Cornetto,Cadbury,ICICI Bank,Nescafé,Longines, andSamsung Galaxy.^[104][105] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Massey collaborated with Citta, to provide emotional support to the patients. In 2020, he also appeared inJonita Gandhi's music video #AageKiSoch, to create awareness related to the pandemic.^[106][107]

• Vikranth Massey atIMDb
• Vikranth Massey atBollywood Hungama

• 1987 births
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