Quote of the Day by Vicky Kaushal on his 38th birthday — ‘Failures must rattle you; they must shake you up because…’

“Failures must rattle you. They must shake you up because it's only something good that comes out of it. Failure is also one of the beginning stages for success.” — Vicky Kaushal

LiveMint's quote of the day by Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal, on his 38th birthday, reflects on the realities of professional setbacks, dismantling the popular notion that one should simply brush off failure.

While addressing his unconventional transition from an engineering student to a mainstream cinematic lead, the actor emphasised the necessity of feeling the full weight of rejection before attempting to move forward.

What does the quote mean?

Vicky Kaushal's quote highlights that pain and disruption are essential components of growth. By allowing failure to "rattle" and "shake you up," an individual is forced out of complacency.

Kaushal suggests that attempting to immediately pivot from a setback without first digesting the emotional and intellectual cost of that failure prevents you from extracting the vital lessons necessary for long-term success.

• Rejection of "Toxic Positivity": When Kaushal says failure must rattle you, he is validating the pain of losing. Society often pushes a narrative of instant resilience—the idea that you should immediately smile, dust yourself off, and move on. This quote argues the opposite. If a failure doesn't hurt or "shake you up," it means you either didn't care enough about the goal or you are burying your head in the sand.
• Discomfort as a Diagnostic Tool: The "rattling" is exactly what forces a necessary autopsy of the situation. When you are shaken, your ego is stripped away. This vulnerability allows you to objectively look at what went wrong—whether it was a flawed strategy, a lack of preparation, or a miscalculation—ensuring that "something good comes out of it."
• Redefining Timeline of Success: By calling failure the "beginning stages," Kaushal removes the finality of the word. Failure is traditionally viewed as the opposite of success, or the end of a journey. Instead, he repositions it as step one of the success process. You cannot reach the later stages without passing through the initial stage of failure.

How is it applicable today?

• For professionals navigating career shifts, entrepreneurial ventures, or competitive examinations, this perspective serves as a pragmatic anchor. Rather than viewing a failed project or a missed promotion as a permanent endpoint or something to quickly ignore, it should be utilised as a diagnostic tool. Embracing the discomfort of failure builds the resilience and clarity required to re-strategise effectively.
• Social media and digital spaces heavily curate success stories, making achievements look effortless and immediate. This creates a fragile mindset where people abandon their goals at the first sign of friction. Recognising failure as a mandatory first step normalises the struggle.

Where does the quote come from?

Vicky Kaushal delivered these remarks during an English Speeches forum focused on the theme "The stories we tell also tell us."

Answering a question on how the modern generation struggles with rejection, he noted: “I feel failures must rattle you. They must shake you up because it's only something good that comes out of it. Failure, I feel, is also one of the beginning stages for success.”

Who is Vicky Kaushal?

Born in 1988 to action director Sham Kaushal, Vicky Kaushal initially pursued a degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering before realising his true inclination lay in performance arts.

After assisting director Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), he made his breakthrough with the critically acclaimed independent drama Masaan (2015).

He has since established himself as one of India's most versatile actors, winning a National Film Award for his role in Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and receiving widespread acclaim for portraying historical figures in Sardar Udham (2021) and Sam Bahadur (2023).

On the work front, Vicky Kaushal will be seen sharing screen space with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Love and War', which will hit the theatres on 21 January 2027. The project has been mounted on a grand scale and is being billed as Bhansali's most ambitious romantic drama to date.

‘Love and War’ will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The movie will mark Vicky Kaushal's first project with Bhansali. It was officially announced in January 2024.