NDTV Indian Of The Year: "Actor Of The Year" Vikrant Massey Recalls When Smriti Irani Recommended His Name For A Show

Vikrant Massey was awarded the "Actor Of The Year" trophy at the NDTV Indian Of The Year ceremony held in New Delhi on Saturday for his stellar performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail. Vikrant received the award from union minister and former actor Smriti Irani. After receiving the award, Vikrant Massey shared an anecdote on the stage. He began his speech with these words, "Life comes a full circle. I remember days when I was trying to make ends meet by working in television. One day a boy came and told me Smriti Ma'am (Irani) wanted to meet me. Smriti Ma'am told me that she watched my shows and I have the potential to do better. Later, I got an offer for a big show which was needed at that time. Days after getting the show, I came to know Smriti Ma'am recommended my name for the show."

Vikrant dedicated his award to director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and to those "honest and impartial officers" who ensure safety of the people of the country. Vikrant also said that he wanted to try his luck in films and he didn't shy away to take a risk. Take a look at the pictures here:

Vikrant worked in serials like Dharam Veer, Balika Vadhu, Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo, Yeh Hai Aashiqui, to name a few. He has featured in films like A Death in the Gunj, Chhapaak, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi, Haseen Dillruba, Gaslight. He featured in web series like Broken But Beautiful, Criminal Justice, Mirzapur.

12th Fail is based on the real-life journey of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who became an IPS officer after cleaning toilet, working in library and toiling hard to overcome every obstacle which came his way. The film stars Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi, Sanjay Bishnoi. The long list of 12th Fail fans among celebrities include Kamal Haasan, Hrithik Roshan, Vijay Deverakonda, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Vicky Kaushal.

Speaking of NDTV Indian Of The Year, Hon'ble Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was present as the Chief Guest, along with other esteemed guests including Union Ministers Hardeep Puri, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Smriti Zubin Irani. The event featured some of the biggest names from entertainment, politics, business, sports and culture. This year the theme of the ceremony was "India - A Transformative Power". The awards have consistently celebrated India's heroes, famous or unsung, acknowledging their extraordinary contribution to society.