Naseeruddin Shah’s son Vivaan Shah blames his appearance for not getting certain roles

By Samira Vishwas On Jan 10, 2026

Vivaan Shah recently featured in Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis.Instagram

Over the years, several actors have opened up about not getting enough roles and chances because they look a certain way. At the same time, there have been several actors who have and continue to dominate Bollywood, despite not conforming to the conventional looks typically associated with a leading man or lady in a film.

Recently, Vivaan Shah, who has been in the movie business for quite some time but has done fewer projects, opened up about not getting certain roles because of the way he looks. He was recently seen in Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Ikkis’, and while talking about the movie, he opened up about being offered a role that was against his type.

In a conversation with ANI, the actor/writer opened up about the process of suiting up for the role that he bagged in Ikkis, which was of an army officer. He also highlighted how important the film is to him.

Vivaan said, “Ikkis is a very important film of my life… It was challenging, too, because I had never played such a role before. Because of my appearance, I don’t often get roles like an army officer or a police inspector. I look quite young and don’t naturally fit the image of a tough guy. So for this film, I had to undergo a transformation, and through that process, I learned a lot.”

Ikkis starring Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Agastya Nanda — Ikkis stars Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Agastya Nanda.

Vivaan in Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis plays the role of Captain Vijendra Malhotra, who is Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal’s (played by Agastya Nanda) senior in the 17th Poona Horse regiment and is also a tank commander. Shah has already received a lot of appreciation for the film, and talking about it, he said, “There is a lot of gratitude as people are liking the film so much. So happy to know that Ikkis has touched so many hearts.”

Vivaan is the son of revered actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah. He made his debut with Farah Khan’s Happy New Year, a film that featured Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood and Boman Irani. Vivaan does not just act in plays and independent films but is an author too.