The survivalist show, Into The Wild on Discovery+, recently featured Vicky Kaushal on a marine adventure in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Hosted by Bear Grylls, the show takes celebrities into extreme and rigorous environments, challenging them to overcome their fears.
Here are some of the best moments from the episode:
While he is well-known for his onscreen bravado, Vicky revealed his phobia of deep waters. Before they ventured into the swamp, he told Bear that his fear was so intense that he had never gone swimming in the sea, even in shallow waters. He was terrified by the feeling of the Earth slipping from under his feet. It was interesting to see him face his fears – literally – with every step in the swampy mangrove forest and the open waters off an unnamed island in the Indian Ocean.
On Into The Wild, the celebrity guest's friends and families send in pre-recorded video messages. The first message that Vicky received was from his father – stunt director Sham Kaushal. He gives him a virtual hug at the end of his encouraging message, telling him to never give up. Vicky then spoke about how his father worked very hard to provide for his family, and how that inspired him to do the same in the early years of his acting career.
As they waited on a dry camp they'd made, Bear asked Vicky about his tendency to take up risky roles. The actor revealed that he wouldn't take on a new role if it didn't scare him. He had always been someone who took risks, switching from an engineering career to acting despite the struggle that awaited him. Pointing to the makeshift shelter they had built amongst the branches, Vicky told Bear that the house that he was born in was barely bigger than that. He and his family had seen every step of the ladder to success together, and that had brought them closer to each other. His family, in fact, empowered him to take risks.
Despite appearing in intense films and playing the ideal soldier in films like Uri: The Surgical Strike, Vicky still retains a certain boy-next-door charm that appeals to the audience. We saw that charm when Bear asked him what it felt like to be the most eligible bachelor in the country, and he tried to laugh it off shyly. We get a glimpse into Vicky, the person, as he talks about how he hoped to be in a relationship that felt like home.
Bear and Vicky swam out on a current towards the open ocean, as the actor finally faced his fears. They swam about a mile and a half from the backwaters into the ocean, stopping at a shipwreck. There was joy and confidence in Vicky's voice when they reached the shipwreck. Despite the exhaustion and fear, he accompanied Bear into the water to explore the shipwreck. He emerged out of the water with a look of priceless triumph. "This feels like a victory", Vicky said.
You can watch the full episode on Discovery Plus.