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Ankur Vikal says theatre has been his primary work, with film roles arriving alongside it—not as the destination of a career built on stage. In a 2020 interview with Devarsi Ghosh for Scroll.in, the actor connected that choice to a larger idea of craft: observing life, staying out of the spotlight, and telling stories truthfully. His roles in Betaal and Paatal Lok brought that stage-trained performer to a wider screen audience, but Vikal described publicity and stardom as secondary to the work itself.
Who is Ankur Vikal?
Ankur Vikal is an Indian actor whose work spans theatre and film. The Scroll.in profile describes him as a graduate of the National School of Drama in Delhi and a longtime performer with Motley Theatre Group. His screen credits discussed in the interview include Maqbool (2003), in which he played Riyaz Boti, and Slumdog Millionaire (2009), where he played Maman, as well as later films including Maryan, Bang Bang, Phobia and Love Sonia.
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The interview also gives a glimpse of the personal history Vikal associated with his readiness for an actor’s uncertain life. It says he grew up in Surat, Gujarat, the youngest of three siblings; his mother, Veena, was a schoolteacher, while his father, Ajit, was a labour-rights activist who changed jobs frequently. Vikal described a childhood shaped by moving and financial uncertainty. Those are details from his account as reported by Scroll.in, not a complete biography.
Why did Ankur Vikal make theatre his primary work?
Vikal initially set out to study architecture in Vadodara, but began acting in plays. After graduating from the National School of Drama, he moved to Mumbai. The interview contrasts his path with that of actors who viewed theatre mainly as a route into film. Vikal put his own priorities plainly: “For me, theatre was my primary job, and films happened on the side.”
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThat approach meant choosing stage commitments even when screen opportunities carried greater visibility. The Scroll.in profile says he did not join the global cast tour for Slumdog Millionaire because he was rehearsing for Motley’s The Caine Mutiny Court Martial. It also recounts that his years with Nirbhaya kept him away from films. The interview presents these as choices shaped by his commitment to theatre, rather than as a comprehensive account of every career decision.
What plays did Ankur Vikal perform with Motley?
Manto Ismat Hazir Hain
Vikal’s first play was Motley Theatre Group’s Manto Ismat Hazir Hain in 2001. He played writer Saadat Hasan Manto. According to the Scroll.in interview, the role had initially been offered to Irrfan.
Other Motley productions
The interview names several other Motley productions involving Vikal: Safed Jhooth Kaali Shalwar, All Thieves and The Caine Mutiny Court Martial. They represent a sustained stage practice rather than a brief stop on the way to film work.
What was Ankur Vikal’s role in Nirbhaya?
From 2013 to 2015, Vikal toured internationally with Yael Farber’s Nirbhaya. The Scroll.in profile says the play was developed around the experiences of six female co-actors, including Priyanka Bose and Poorna Jagannathan, and that Vikal performed all the male roles. Its account emphasizes his work in support of a production centered on the women’s experiences; it also says that the three-year period kept him away from movies.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWho does Ankur Vikal play in Betaal and Paatal Lok?
In the June 2020 interview, Vikal’s role in Netflix’s horror series Betaal is Bhunnu, an engineer. In Amazon Prime Video’s Paatal Lok, he plays Kana Commando, a one-eyed dacoit. The two shows share a dark tone and Vikal’s presence, but the interview stresses that they are otherwise distinct series.
| Series | Vikal’s character | 2020 context in the interview |
|---|---|---|
| Betaal | Bhunnu, an engineer | Netflix series; described in the interview as horror-themed |
| Paatal Lok | Kana Commando, a one-eyed dacoit | Amazon Prime Video series |
These platform references describe the interview’s June 2020 context, not current catalogue availability. The article also mentioned projects then anticipated, including Baahubali: Before the Beginning, another season of Inside Edge and the film Saina; that 2020 mention alone does not establish their later release status or Vikal’s current projects.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Vikal mean by staying “invisible”?
Vikal’s central idea in the interview is that an actor needs to observe rather than place themselves at the center of attention. He said, “You can only observe life and apply it to your craft if you are invisible.” In context, the remark describes his view of acting as attention to lived experience and storytelling, not a claim that performers should literally disappear or avoid audiences.
He also described his work across stage and screen as an attempt to remain faithful to that principle: “I have done theatre as truthfully as I could and simultaneously did the films that organically came my way.” The phrasing captures how he understood the balance: theatre was the foundation, while film roles were opportunities that emerged alongside it.
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What did Ankur Vikal say about Bollywood, publicity and stardom?
Vikal expressed skepticism about the pursuit of fame and the publicity machinery around film careers. “I just think this industry is skewed, and chasing stardom and success here isn’t worth it,” he said. He characterized what he called “perception building” as separate from acting craft, and framed storytelling as an effort to tell the truth: “For me, the whole business of storytelling is about telling truth.”
These comments are Vikal’s personal judgments in the 2020 interview, not independently established facts about the Indian film industry as a whole. They make clear, however, why he did not describe screen visibility or celebrity as the measure of his career: his stated measure was the honesty of the work.
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