Vikrant Rai

Early Life & Education

Vikrant Rai was born on a very chilly evening of 1 January 1986 in a small village called Rausar in Kaptan Ganj, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India to parents Gulab Chandra Rai & Madhuri Rai. His father was a newly recruited sailor in Indian Navy during that period. When Vikrant was 6 months, his father took Vikrant & his mother to Mumbai then Bombay where he was posted on an Indian Navy ship. Vikrant's younger brother Vijayant Rai was born in Mumbai when Vikrant was 1 and half years old. Vikrant started his schooling from INS Shivaji, Lonavala where his father moved to, due to his posting. Later he did his schooling from Bombay, Uran & Visakhapattnam. The family faced a lot of hardship due to low income from Indian Navy in the 80's and 90's. Vikrant's father studied hard while working for Indian Navy & cleared all the exams to be an officer in Indian Navy. Gulab Chandra Rai got commissioned as an officer in Indian Navy in 1991 & The family shifted to an officer's area in INS Shivaji. Vikrant along with his brother Vijayant were brought up at different places in India due to father's postings. Right from the beginning Vikrant was seen as a very bright kid with lots of energy by his teachers. But he was also very aggressive, stubborn & a difficult kid to handle often ending up in schools brawls. Vikrant got many prizes and certificates in his school days mainly in sports & extra curricular activities. His teachers don't recall him to be the studious kind. He studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya, INS.Shivaji, Kendriya Vidyalaya no:2 104 Area, Visakhapatnam, Kendriya Vidyalaya No:2, Navy Nagar, Colaba, Kendriya Vidyalaya Karanja, Uran, & Kendriya Vidyalaya No:2 Nausena Baugh, Visakhapatnam. Vikrant graduated in Economics & Political Scienece from Jai Hind College of science & Arts, Mumbai University. However his college days were mostly spent in either college campus/cafeteria or shooting for Balaji Telefilms. Vikrant Rai's father retired from a senior rank of Commander in Indian Navy in 2014 and his brother is an officer & pilot in Indian Navy. Vikrant got married to his girl friend Priya Dass originally from Darjeeling, West Bengal, who also happens to be a daughter of highly decorated Indian Navy Officer Commander (Cdr) PB Dass. Vikrant was already a TV Star before marriage but he made his Big Bollywood debut 6 months after he got married to Priya.

Vikrant Rai used to play the role of Kshitij in "Ghar ki lakshmi..Betiyaan" & Jeet in "Maayka". His early television role was as a supporting cast member in the TV series Kkavyanjali(2005–06) on "Star Plus" . Later Rai appeared as lead in two TV series: Maayka (2007–09) & Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan (2006–08) on "Zee TV". In Maayka he played the role of a rockstar who is a singer in a club, co-starring with TV actresses 'Neha Bamb' & 'Arti Singh'. In Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan he starred opposite TV actress 'Kshitee Jog' in a performance best remembered as "intense" and "tightly clenched".

He left both the shows withinn few months due to controversy between him and channel and was replaced by actor 'Romit Raj' in Maayka & by Hemant Thatte in Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan.

After that he pursued a Bollywood career and started pursuing starring roles in films, which made him reject many lucrative offers from television in the leading role. In an interview to local newspaper "Afternoon", Rai had said he doesn't differentiate between TV series and movies: "it's just a matter of choice what u want to do at that point of your life".

In September 2007, Rai appeared in a music album Phir Bewafai produced by India's music company "T-series" in a song titled Mere Dil Ki Hai Awaaz. The song shot in limited budget was a sleeper hit. In 2008, he signed his first film Kya Time Hai Yaar in the lead role co-starring with the likes of film actors like 'Jackie Shroff', 'Asrani', 'Mukesh Tiwari' and 'Sanjay Mishra'. It was a small budget comedy film produced by producers 'Sanjay Kapur' & 'Anju Rajiv' under the banner Shri Omh Creations. The film never released.

Thereafter Rai appeared in a small yet noticeable part of a young D.J called Imran in the film Dunno Y Naa Jaane Kyun(2009), touted as India's answer to Hollywood blockbuster Brokeback Mountain. The film was a disaster at the Box Office, though claimed to have done well in overseas market. It was India cinema's first commercial gay love story. The film premiered at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival in April 2010.

Vikrant Rai was back to television in 2014, seen in the lead role of a young successful lawyer opposite actress Meinal Vaishnav in the DD National's new show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon. The show aired on March 8, 2014. The show was conceptualized and directed byscreenwriter/playwright national award winner Feroz Abbas Khan who has made critically acclaimed film ‘Gandhi My Father’. Episodes of this serial are inspired by true life stories. It airs in 16 other countries. The serial is endorsed by Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan & Soha Ali Khan. Shabana Azmi was specially present at the launch of the show lending her support. Vikrant Rai made his Bollywood debut in the leading role with film UVAA IN 2015. The film which got mixed rieviews bombed at the box office but Rai was much appreciated for his portrayal of notorious school boy Ram Pratap. Thereafter Vikrant appeared in films BHOURI & LUCCHEY LAFFANGEY in parallel lead roles. Both the films released in 2016.

Personal life

Rai comes from a family with military background. His father is retired Indian Navy Officer at the rank of Commander( Cdr) in the Indian Navy. His younger brother is also a serving navy officer and a pilot. The family is originally from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh He married his girlfriend Priya Dass, now Priya Vikrant Rai on 3 February 2014. .