Actor Vivaan Shah, son of veteran performers Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, has opened up about being typecast early in his career because of his youthful looks. According to Vivaan, his appearance often prevented him from being considered for certain kinds of roles, especially those requiring a tougher or more mature presence. However, his latest film Ikkis marked a significant shift in how he is perceived in the industry. In the war biopic directed by Sriram Raghavan, Vivaan portrays an army officer—a role he feels helped him shed the label of typecasting that had followed him for years.

Vivaan described Ikkis as one of the most important films of his career. He said the experience was both demanding and rewarding, as he had never taken on such a challenging part before. Because of his naturally youthful appearance, he explained, he rarely got opportunities to play characters like army personnel or police inspectors. To convincingly embody his role in Ikkis, he underwent a significant physical transformation and pushed himself to grow as an actor. Through this process, Vivaan said he learned valuable lessons about his craft.

Vivaan also expressed deep gratitude for the warm reception the film has received. He said it feels wonderful to know that Ikkis has touched so many hearts and that audiences are responding positively to his performance. The film, released on January 1, 2026, also stars Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher, and Rahul Dev, and is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.