Vicky Kaushal is navigating two very different emotional landscapes at once, the joy of new fatherhood and the weight of public scrutiny. After facing criticism over a light-hearted joke about marriage at a wedding event, the actor has spoken candidly about the responsibilities that come with fame, while also opening up about how difficult it has been to step away from his newborn son, Vihaan, for work.
Vicky on the Marriage joke that sparked backlash
In March, a clip from a wedding function went viral in which Vicky Kaushal, referencing his iconic ‘Uri’ dialogue, asked a groom, “How’s the josh?” When the crowd responded enthusiastically, he quipped, “I’ve noticed that bachelors always have high energy and enthusiasm. For those of us who are married, that enthusiasm keeps dropping year after year.”The remark drew a wave of online criticism. Rather than brushing it off, Vicky chose to reflect on it publicly. Mid-Day quoted the actor saying, “There is no way that just because you’re a public figure, you need to be perfect. Sometimes we do deserve the brickbats, and maybe the learning there for me is that, as much as people are giving me love, it also comes with a certain sense of responsibility.”Vicky did not shy away from acknowledging the double-edged nature of celebrity. He added, “No actor has gotten fame and not gotten the flip side of it. I made the conscious choice that I wanted to be here, and the universe is reciprocating. Now it’s on me how I handle [the fame]. And if the criticism is constructive, you can learn from it.”
Vicky Kaushal talks about the hardest part of being a new dad
Beyond the controversy, Vicky also got deeply personal about fatherhood. Recalling the moment he had to leave for a shoot after Vihaan’s birth, he said simply: “My heart sank. It was hard.”He also reflected on the daily discoveries of parenthood with disarming honesty. The actor shared, “There are so many new feelings that surface almost on a daily basis because being a parent is new to me. I understand now when others would say, ‘Yaar, bacha kitna jaldi bada ho raha hai’ (the child is growing up so quickly). And I would think, ‘What are you talking about? Your child is still a year old.’ Now, I get it.”
More about Vicky Kaushal
Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif married in a private ceremony in December 2021. Their son Vihaan was born on November 7, 2025. On the work front, the actor will next feature in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Love and War’, co-starring Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. The release date of the film is yet to be announced.
