Why Vikrant Rai Chose His Hometown Azamgarh for His First Production

His journey into acting began without the conventional advantages associated with the industry. 
Over the years, he worked across television and films, gradually building his identity through supporting and leading roles in many hit hindi tv shows and then successfully moving on to big screen projects like UVAA, Bhouri and Tatkshan. His roles have taken him through different shades of performances — from being a television heartthrob to an intense police officer in the homicide thriller Tatkshan, and now towards a romantic lead in Cousin Isha.

But the most significant chapter of his journey may be the one he has written himself.
Vikrant has now stepped behind the camera as a filmmaker with Vikrant Rai Films, turning from an outsider trying to find his place in the industry into an outsider attempting to create his own space within it.

Cousin Isha, a small-town musical love story set against the backdrop of Azamgarh and Purvanchal, marks an important personal milestone for him. It is not simply another acting assignment; it represents the fulfilment of a dream that once seemed too distant to even imagine.

For many outsiders struggling in Mumbai, that transition carries a deeper significance.
And that is perhaps where Vikrant's story becomes bigger than one film.
There were no inherited film connections to fall back on. The foundation came instead from a farmer’s family and a soldier’s discipline.

That may be why Vikrant’s journey resonates with aspiring actors who arrive in Mumbai with little more than a suitcase, a dream and the determination to survive.

For Vikrant Rai, the impossible thought of becoming an actor and filmmaker has slowly become his reality.
And for the countless outsiders still waiting for their own chance in Mumbai, his journey is a reminder that the starting point may be different, but the dream does not have to be smaller.