Vikas Kumar: Bihari man teaches nuances of English and Hindi to film industry figures | Bollywood News

Born in Gaya, Vikas Kumar is a proud Bihari who grew up in and around Bihar Sharif and studied at Welham Boys’ School, a boarding school based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

“People are surprised to know that I am from Bihar. This has happened so much that people keep guessing. Some people probably look at my complexion and think I am from the south. Some people think that I am from Bengal or that I am a Christian. When they find out that I am from Bihar, they say:array!

“I don’t know if I should take this as a compliment because they don’t look at Bihar in a good light or don’t expect all these things from Bihar and are giving me a backhanded compliment. ” Kumar told PTI. In an interview.

The actor, who has worked as a dialogue coach for some of the biggest names in the film industry, said he grew up as a diligent student with an interest in languages.

“People from Bihar and UP may speak with different accents because wherever you go there is an influence of your mother tongue. But it is beneficial if you understand the language, which is weak in parts of Mumbai etc. . I have always been interested in studying and speaking well,” said Kumar.

His first project as a dialogue coach for actors was the 2006 Hollywood film One Night with the King, directed by Michael O. Sargebell. Starring Peter O’Toole, Tiffany DuPont, John Rhys-Davies, and Luke Goss, the film was shot entirely in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

When international films are shot in India, producers hire a large number of local actors, he said, adding that they must “speak English well” without an Indian accent.

“This was my first job as a dialogue coach, and I don’t know how I did it. There were also a lot of stalwarts like Amar Talwar and senior actors like Ali Khan. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art There were people from (RADA) who were doing theater. One of them even joked, ‘Well, now you have to learn English from a Bihari!”’ Kumar recalled. .

He worked as Vidya Balan’s dialect teacher in ‘Ishqiya’, Prithviraj Sukhumaran’s dialect teacher in ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ and Katrina Kaif’s dialogues in ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Tiger 3’. I have also worked as a coach.

Those who know him in Bihar also wonder how he understands the Magahi dialect so well after being away from the state for so long.

“I am the best when it comes to following the local Magahi dialect. People are surprised when I go to villages. Maybe my ability to stay grounded and try to absorb different things is invisible to the eye. It may be helping me in teaching my acting and speaking skills.”

When he goes to a small town, people call him “CID” or Rajat, which is the name of a character from a popular TV show. In the last couple of years, Aaliya became a blockbuster hit and his role in ACP His Khan was a hit as well.

“People are raving about this character. The first part of season 3 premiered a few months ago. Just before that, Kaala Paani came out[on Netflix]. People liked my character (Santosh).Thus, the numbers will definitely increase.

“People compliment me at the airport, about Aaliya and also about Kaala Paani. Sometimes they come up and say, ‘I’ve seen you somewhere, but where?'”

In ‘Aarya Antim Vaar’, Kumar reprises his role as ACP Khan, a righteous cop who is dedicated to capturing drug lord Aaliya, played by Sushmita Sen, and putting him behind bars. The series will begin distribution on February 9th.

The actor said his character is “restless, eager and, in fact, desperate to get Arya.”

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“In season 1, Khan tried to dissuade her from getting into the drug business. In season 2, she left him in court. Since then, he has been trying to dissuade her from getting into the drug business.” I’ve been trying to figure it out.

“When the season ended, he realized that she had become a don. In season 3, she becomes a full-fledged don. Now his only objective is to capture Arya Khan is a character who has been on a consistent path since season 1 with the goal of eradicating the drug menace from Rajasthan,” he added.

Vikas Kumar’s next film is Urjan, a story about an upper caste family based in Lucknow, starring Saloni Batra, also of Soni fame.