Exclusive: Actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta on breaking the Gullak mould in Mandala Murders

India Today

6 days ago

Vaibhav Raj Gupta, best known for his endearing portrayal of Annu Bhaiya in the TVF show 'Gullak', has taken a dark, daring detour with Netflix's 'Mandala Murders'. As Vikram Singh, a deeply layered and emotionally bruised cop, Vaibhav sheds his old skin and plunges head-first into a character riddled with pain, guilt and raw vulnerability - and it's safe to say, he owns it.advertisementIn an exclusive chat with India Today, the actor opened up about why taking on 'Mandala Murders' scared him, how he used real-life baggage to build Vikram, and why this role marks a whole new chapter in his acting journey.BREAKING OUT OF THE 'ANNU BHAIYA' BOXAfter years of being synonymous with his character in 'Gullak' - Annu Bhaiya -, Vaibhav was keen to shake things up. When asked whether he is consciously trying to avoid typecasting, he replied in affirmation.
'As much as I love the character, it's scary for an actor to be typecast,' he confessed, adding, 'I took a break. I told myself, unless it's something radically different, I'm not showing up.'After 'Gullak', Vaibhav next appeared as a goon in Sakshi Tanwar's 'Mai', then in 'Good Bad Girl' as a suave English-speaking businessman. 'I wanted to prove I'm not just one thing. Sometimes you need to disappear and let people miss you - then come back with a banger," he added.ON 'MANDALA MURDERS'From the very first scene, Vikram Singh doesn't feel like a stock police character, he's complicated, unpredictable and steeped in emotional intensity. But stepping into his shoes wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Vaibhav. 'I'm still processing it,' he admitted.'The world Gopi Sir (Gopi Puthran, the show's creator) created was so beautiful and different. I was honestly scared when they offered it to me. I knew I'd do it, but I didn't know how because the character had so much going on," he added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)The 34-year-old actor revealed he underwent a serious physical transformation to align with the director's vision for the Netflix show. He added, 'Gopi Sir had a very specific image of Vikram. He wanted me to go muscular and look completely different from anything I've done before.'Read the review of 'Mandala Murders' here.REAL PAIN AND REAL PERFORMANCEFor Vaibhav, Vikram wasn't just another role, it became a personal outlet. When asked what his anchor was while preparing for the role, he shared, "I gave Vikram my own traumas. It was a barter system, I gave him my baggage, and he gave me something back.advertisementGupta noted that the timing of the show also eerily mirrored his own life. 'When Vikram came into my life, I was going through a lot - I'd lost a project, my mum had a heart attack. It felt like our lives were running parallel. Vikram had a bullet; I had a bullet. He had a bike; I had a bike. I started comparing everything," he shared.Vaibhav's performance in 'Mandala Murders' was so emotionally charged that it lingers long after the credits roll. He is paired alongside Vaani Kapoor, who made her OTT debut with the psychological thriller.It wasn't just the character that drew him in, Vaibhav was also hooked by the uniqueness of the show itself. Praising its script, he said, 'You've never seen anything like this on screen. It has no blueprint. Now people might copy it and make a formula out of it, but this one was the first.' With 'Mandala Murders', he feels proud to be part of something he believes is pioneering in its genre.Watch the trailer of 'Mandala Murders' here: advertisementON BEING AN OUTSIDER IN MUMBAIFor Vaibhav, acting has never been just a job - it's a calling that demands emotional investment. He opened up about how it was for him to land in Mumbai, with no experience of acting. 'Being an actor in Bombay is not easy, especially when you're an outsider. Life's happening to you, you're hustling, and if you're someone who feels everything, it can be overwhelming,' he said.So, when 'Mandala Murders' came along, he made a promise to himself, 'I wanted to play a cop no one had seen before. Not the stereotypical guy. I poured everything into Vikram."With 'Mandala Murders', Vaibhav Raj Gupta isn't just reinventing himself, he's leaving a mark. As Vikram Singh, he delivers a performance that's intense, unfiltered, and deeply human. If there's one thing this role proves, it's that Vaibhav is here for the long run, and he's just getting started.Directed by Gopi Puthran, 'Mandala Murders' is streaming on Netflix.- Ends