"IRONY IS, I AM PLAYING MY UNCLE DEV ANAND IN THE VERDICT" says Vaibhav Anand, nephew of Legendary Dev Anand
It’s no coincidence that Vaibhav Anand was cast to play his uncle Dev Anand in his debut project The Verdict.
Blame his looks, the ambitious actor was the first choice for the character. Infact, Vaibhav shares, when he first met the director Shashant Shah, he said, "You are his image, no one can play him better than you."
Insisting that his foray into the world of performing arts was not a flash-in-the-pan decision, Vaibhav Anand said, "I couldn’t keep myself away from what is in my DNA and what I love so here I am chasing my dreams and burning the mid night oil to make them come true. Future is now starting and its paying off. I’m getting to meet more directors and casting agents."
An avid believer of “Quality over Quantity”, Vaibhav Anand says though he was looking for a good role to make a mark in the industry, he was fortunate to get The Verdict, "I was auditioning for a role at Mehboob Studios when I dropped by on the shooting of the movie Kick to meet Salman Khan. Raja from Sajid Nadiadwalla team saw me and liked my dedication and focus to this field and suggested my name to Balaji and tech web-series Tarun, that's how I got this project."
When asked what made him say yes to the role, he explains, "There was no reason to say no. Shashant Shah had a vision. He had incorporated Dev Anand's iconic film 'Guide' and his take on women empowerment. Guide being ahead of Its time is also the story of Rosy who defies societal pressures and traditions to pursue her wishes, career and happiness. Shashant wanted to show Dev Anand being instrumental in producing this idea through his film Guide. I want to recreate that in this story."
"You must believe and have faith in your struggles and journey. It is not the success that shapes you as a person and teaches you about life, it is the struggle that helps you shape your future. Never back down is a mantra I stand by," adds Vaibhav.
The Verdict, a series based on the controversial Nanavati murder trial of 1959 is written by Pooja Tolani, Rahul Patel and is directed by Shashant Shah. It is streaming on Alt Balaji and simultaneously on Zee 5 premium.
While Vaibhav Anand pose all the elements to slip into any character with a lot of ease, he awaits good projects which will help bring out the actor in him and be the next big things in the industry.
Anand, also plans to restore his family’s iconic preview theatre "Ketnav Theatre" to its former glory. “I want to restore the modernist architecture of the ’70s. For most, Ketnav wasn’t a place of work, it was home. He would say, "Ketnav mein milte hain, wahin baat karenge", adds Vaibhav. That is why, apart from a preview theatre and an editing studio Anand also plans to open a coffee shop to also revive that tradition of banter and brainstorming."
