India.com got in touch with Aarya’s Vikas Kumar, where he discussed Season 3’s Part 2: Antim Vaar. Vikas is also a dialogue coach, having worked with actors like Katrina Kaif, Babil Khan, Kalki. He is also keen on teaching THIS superstar the Bihari accent. Watch video to find out who!
Aarya, a popular series on Disney + Hotstar has garnered all sorts of praise and appreciation. Today marks the release of its third season’s Part 2- Antaim Vaar, where one standout character who truly captured viewer’s attention is Vikas Kumar in the role of ACP Khan, delivering a powerful performance. He played a cop in the narcotics department who is on a mission to bust a huge drug racket. He plays it differently unlike regular cops we see on-screen. Additionally, Kumar’s portrayal as a queer Muslim beautifully normalises the concept of homosexuality across every class, section, culture and society.
Vikas Kumar on Playing Cop Roles And Confronting Bollywood Stereotypes
This isn’t Vikas Kumar’s first time portraying an intense cop role on-screen. He previously portrayed Inspector Rajat in the hit TV show CID, earning praise for his performance. In an exclusive interview with India.com, the actor revealed that his decision to take on the role of a cop again was largely influenced by the opportunity to share most of his scenes with Sushmita Sen. He said, “Acting with and opposite Sushmita in the majority of my scenes was a key factor I was looking forward to and was excited about while taking on the role of ACP Khan.”
Kumar also disclosed that if allowed to portray a different character in Aarya, he would be interested in playing the role of Daulat, portrayed by Sikander Kher. He expressed his admiration for the character’s minimal dialogue, stating, ‘I just love being there and not saying much. Since he has fewer lines, the burden is also less, so figuring out all of these things. Whether to stay silent, give expressions, or not, just being part of the scene.”
Kumar shared his perspective on being stereotyped after portraying cop roles stating, “After Kaala Paani, it doesn’t bother me personally; it should concern those who stereotype me. If you are casting me solely because you’ve seen me play a cop, and there is a cop role required in a film or series, it’s somewhat unfair and it reflects laziness on the part of the casting director.”
Vikas Kumar as a Dialect Coach: ‘Would Love to Teach SRK Bihari’
Vikas Kumar is known for training some of the biggest names in the film industry as a dialogue coach, revealing that he grew up as a diligent student with a keen interest in languages. He has worked as a dialect teacher for Katrina Kaif in Tiger 3 and Merry Christmas, Babil Khan in Railway Men, Vidya Balan in Ishqiya, Prithviraj Sukumaran in Salaar: Part One – Ceasefire and more, ‘When I am doing classes with the actors, I learn every day and share my experiences,” he said.
Kumar also expressed his desire to collaborate with Shah Rukh Khan. He admires Khan’s dialogue delivery immensely and, being a huge fan himself, he would cherish the opportunity to work with him in any capacity. Vikas humorously mentioned that I don’t think he needs dialogue coaching in any way, but the closest I can get is that I’m from Bihar. I might infuse a little bit of ‘Santosh’ (from Kala Pani) into his dialogue delivery.”
After Aarya, Vikas Kumar’s upcoming project is Uljhan, a narrative set in London that revolves around an upper-caste family. The film also features Saloni Batra, known for her role in movies like Animal and Soni.
