Vikrant Massey says he earned Rs 300 from 12th Fail director

Vikrant Massey has revealed that filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra paid him small cash rewards totalling around Rs 300 during the making of the acclaimed film 12th Fail. In an interview on Shekhar Suman's show 'Shekhar Tonite', Massey said Chopra would give Rs 10 or Rs 20 for a good take, and the actor collected roughly Rs 300 that way.

Massey recalled his first meeting with Chopra, who had been recommended him by Rajkumar Hirani. According to NDTV, the director appreciated Massey's work in 'A Death in the Gunj' but said 'Mirzapur' was not something he could watch beyond one episode. Chopra then asked Massey, 'Why should I work with you? You are a TV actor. People watch you for free at home, so why would they come to a theatre to watch you?' Massey said he took the comment as constructive criticism and simply told Chopra he wanted to work with him.

The actor said Chopra involved him in the script and story development for 12th Fail, giving him access he had never had before. Massey added that despite Chopra's strict reputation, he became a father figure to him in the industry and never scolded him once during the shoot. The National Film Award-winning actor described the appreciation as 'real wealth'.