India, March 7 -- F or casting professional-turned-actor Vikhyat Gulati, recently seen in the web series Kohrra Season 2 and known for Paatal Lok and Flames, the journey into acting began in the theatre circles of Delhi before eventually leading him to Mumbai's entertainment industry. Born and raised in a Punjabi family, Vikhyat says acting wasn't something he consciously planned early on. "I won't call it a dream, but it was always a work in progress. Kids pick different hobbies, but for me it was always the stage," he says. But ironically, his first stage appearance ended in tears. "I was in preschool and had a monologue competition where I played the Joker. My mother prepared me well, but jaise hi main stage pe chadha, I started crying," he recalls with a laugh. Yet the stage kept drawing him back. From school through college, he continued performing while also managing productions, lighting and even directing plays. He later spent time studying theatre in New York, where an incident during an online class left a lasting impression. A teacher mocked Indian cinema for copying from the West. "That really hit me," he recalls. When he introduced himself and spoke about his background, the teacher's perception shifted. "Their industry is more organised, but we have great writers like Girish Karnad and Mohan Rakesh. We just need to work harder on presentation," he adds. Before acting opportunities came his way, Vikhyat worked in casting after meeting casting director Anmol Ahuja. From 2018 to 2020, he worked behind the scenes and later returned to assist with casting the first season of Kohrra. In 2024, he was contacted again and eventually landed the role of Johnny Malang after auditioning alongside nearly 150 actors. His move to Mumbai also came with its share of challenges. On his very first day in the city, friends who had promised him a place to stay backed out, leaving him stranded for two days until a distant contact helped him find temporary shelter. To sustain himself, Vikhyat took on multiple jobs, writing segments for reality and dance shows, teaching theatre to children and often working 18-hour days, sometimes without credit. His breakthrough moment came with the youth series Flames. A scene from the show went viral, and Vikhyat hasn't looked back since....