Why Vatsal Sheth wants to move away from the ‘boy next door’ image

Vatsal Sheth is a transformed man, and quite literally so. The actor has grown a beard looking all brawny, and the reason for this transformation is because he wants filmmakers and casting directors to see him beyond his boy-next-door image.

“As an actor, I want to be versatile and I want to show that if anyone is looking at casting, then they should think of me. Usually, when people talk of me, it’s normally that, ‘Oh, he looks like a chocolate boy and is the boy-next-door’. I wanted to break that image a little bit,” he explains.

The 41-year-old, who has starred in films such as Taarzan: The Wonder Car (2004), Heroes (2008), Jai Ho (2014) and Malang (2020), admits having come across a lot of people who think he only wants to stick to roles suiting his image.

“I was talking to a director recently with whom I connected after a long time, and we were discussing a film. When I shared my recent pictures, he was taken aback and said he’ll discuss things with me. So, that’s the difference. People really don’t think or imagine for you. You’ve to make sure they see you that away,” he says.

However, the actor is quick to clarify, “I’m not saying that I don’t like being considered for the boy-next-door roles, but as an actor, I don’t want to be limited. I want to get into all kinds of roles.”

Sheth, who has also signed Prabhas-starrer magnum opus, Adipurush, shares that he’s most inspired by actor Aamir Khan, who transforms his looks with every films he does.

Talking about his transformation journey, he adds, “As an actor, it’s a responsibility to try out different looks and it was on my mind for some time. To be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised with the outcome.”