JioHotstar’s Ali Baba Aur 40 Bhoot brings together ancient folklore, haunted mysteries and adventure. The show features Asha Negi as Ali and Vishal Vashishtha as Baba. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Vishal expressed how he was intrigued by the story’s folklore element. He also opened up about fearing failure and his experience on the Sikandar sets with Salman Khan.
Vishal Vashishtha on the fear of failure
Vishal Vashishtha opened up about a fear he has overcome as an actor. He said he would often worry about not doing enough during periods when he was not working, even though such breaks gave him time for himself. “The fear of not doing anything or failure. Like, taking time for yourself. Sometimes, you feel like, what am I doing? But this is the only time we get as actors for ourselves,” he said.
The actor added that the uncertainty often made him question what was next in his career. “As soon as an audition comes, even before I read the script, I have made up my mind that it’s going to be difficult.” When asked if he experienced the same fear while working on Sikandar and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, Vishal remarked, “I didn’t audition for that. That was an offer.”
Vishal Vashishtha on his experience on both sets
Talking about his experience on the sets of Pati Patni Aur Woh Do and Sikandar, Vishal Vashishtha said the former was a welcoming environment, while the latter felt overwhelming because of its scale and the presence of Salman Khan.
“Pati Patni Aur Woh Do was a very welcoming set. Everybody was already there, and they were already in the flow of it,” he said.
Describing his experience on Sikandar, Vishal said, “Sikandar was very overwhelming because it was huge, and we had Salman sir.” The actor recalled that the team was going through a difficult phase while shooting for the film, which made the atmosphere on set more serious and controlled. “We were in a very difficult time during Sikandar, so it was a very serious set. There were no phones, there was nothing. Everything was very controlled, and we were all on our toes,” he said.
Vishal added, “I think even Salman sir was very slow-paced, so it was a difficult time. But we managed to make the film.”
Talking about the experience of being rude to Salman Khan on the set, Vishal admitted, “It was tough. I was a little shaken.”
Vishal spoke about the challenges actors from television backgrounds can face while trying to make a transition to films, as they are rejected for being overexposed. He revealed, “People go through it, and we have heard it from casting professionals as well. Then I realised people don’t really have a good background of my TV career, which worked for me.”
