Special Ops 2 Actor Vikkas Manaktala Exclusive Interview: After a long wait for nearly 4 years, Hotstar (now ‘JioHotstar’) finally treated the fans with the much-awaited second installment of the fan-favourite espionage crime thriller, Special Ops. This time, in Special Ops 2, the anticipation was a notch higher with the addition of new faces joining the OG cast members.
Fans got a déjà vu when Vikkas Manaktala, Cadet Amardeep Huda from ‘Left Right Left’, stepped into the world of Special Ops like never before! Known for his commanding screen presence and sharp performances, Vikkas joined the adrenaline-pumped universe of Special Ops 2, and brought serious intensity to the battlefield as agent ‘Abhay Singh’.
In this exclusive chat, the actor candidly opened up about his transformation for the role, the thrills of being a part of Neeraj Pandey’s gripping Special Ops franchise. Expect laughs, behind-the-scenes action, and a few secrets (but not the classified kind).
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
1) First of all, congratulations on the huge success of Special Ops 2. People are loving your character on the show. How have the past few days been like?
The calls have not stopped coming. The messages have not stopped. I’m just very happy and overwhelmed with the response. Working with Neeraj Pandey is such a big reward in itself. But on top of that, everyone is loving the work. The appreciation and praises that we are getting… it can’t get better than that. So, I’m very, very grateful for all the love coming.
2) Special Ops 2 marks your debut on OTT. What was it like working under Neeraj Pandey’s direction for your web debut project?
I’ve been dreaming of working with Neeraj for the past 14 years. I mean, it took me 14 years to work with him. When I saw his first film, A Wednesday, I was stunned. It was so ahead of its time. I was offered a role in Special Ops Season 1 as well. But back then, I couldn’t do the show because I was committed to another show and didn’t have a date. So, I waited for another 4-5 years, and thankfully, by God’s grace, he again came back to me and offered me another role. I am grateful to him, the whole team, and the casting department who thought of me again. He is a man of few words. He is an amazing director and has amazing sharpness. His brilliance is unmatched. I feel he is the real ‘Himmat Singh’ in reality.
3) Given your performance and the kind of role that you played in this show, I am sure it was equally challenging and demanding both physically and mentally. What kind of physical training on transformation did you have to go through to embody an agent?
I have always been an athletic guy since my childhood and while growing up, I’ve trained myself physically in a variety of physical training, from martial arts to weapon training, boxing, Wing Chun (a Chinese form of martial art), and a lot of other things. But for Abhay, we changed the training a little bit because I had to gain 10.5 kilos. For this role, my physical training included hand-to-hand combat, weapon training, and agility training. When you gain a lot of weight, you become very stout and stiff. But to do so much action, that agility and flexibility are very important. So, for that, agility, stretching training, flexibility training, MMA, like I said, hand-to-hand combat, all these things were added. And besides, of course, weight training was there.
4) Even though JioHotstar is yet to officially renew the show for season 3, fans are eagerly waiting for the upcoming season. Is Special Ops 3 happening? Have the talks started yet?
I will be very happy to take Abhay a notch higher. I think this question should be for the makers. ‘When are they deciding to make it? When are they planning to take this brand forward?’ Mr. Neeraj and our producers will be able to answer this question. I will be more than happy to be a part of Special Ops 3. The sooner it happens, the better.
4) You started off your acting career on Television with Left Right Left and then went on to appear in some of the iconic TV shows, including Bigg Boss 16. Your last daily soap was Namah in 2019. Any plans to return to TV anytime soon?
I have learnt from the hardships of my life that never say never. I don’t know what is written or what life throws at me, but I want this exciting phase, for which I have worked so hard and faced so many hardships, to stay for a while. It is very difficult to stay away from TV because of the financial and mental security. The transition from TV to OTT was not easy. It is such a good thing that my first OTT show is getting so much love. It is really heart-warming and overwhelming for me. I would like to explore this phase more and hope that I can work with all the makers who inspire me and whom I wish to work with. But like I said, never say never. I don’t know what life throws at me, but if God has written, then I will come back to TV.
5) When I first heard that I would have to interview you, the first thing that came into my mind was Bigg Boss. How was your experience on Bigg Boss 16?
I had been offered Bigg Boss at least 8 times, but I never wanted to do it. But when COVID happened and things changed. In fact, BB16 was offered to me at the beginning of the season, but it didn’t work out because of some terms. But when they came back to me saying that I would have to be there for 3-4 weeks, I gave it some thought. Then, Gunjan (wife) convinced me, she said I should do it. Thank god it was just for 3 weeks.
6) Are you still in touch with any of the Bigg Boss 16 contestants?
On and off with Ankit (Gupta) and Priyanka (Chahar Choudhary), but nobody else.
7) Any update on your upcoming project that you would like to share?
I haven’t signed anything yet. We were all waiting for Special Ops 2 to come out. There have been a few things that are coming, and I hope that fans don’t have to wait too much this time.
