INSIDE INFORMATION, FROM AN OUTSIDER

AFTER DELIVERING A REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE IN AMAZON PRIME'S GUILTY MINDS, THE MAN OF THE HOUR VARUN MITRA GETS CANDID ABOUT HIS CLAIM TO FAME, THE ADVANTAGE HE HAD AS AN OUTSIDER, MEMORIES FROM HIS COLONY IN NEW DELHI AND MUCH MORE

- Shree Vrinda Agarwal

What drew you to films?

My lack of knowledge of this industry piqued my curiosity. It wasn’t planned but acting gave me a purpose and fulfilled me in a way that no other profession could.

Did you take interest in art or theatre as a kid? What was your childhood like?

I was very shy child. I still am, but I’ve learnt to conceal it. In school plays, participation was mandatory, but I was so shy that I used to look for the smallest part available. I also think that because I didn’t express myself as a child, there were a lot of bottled-up emotions that were ready to set off in my later years.

You are born and brought up in Delhi. What’s your take on the Mumbai vs Delhi debate?

Controversial, but it’s Mumbai for me. Delhi will always be home, but Mumbai is so much nicer, there’s diversity, and ambition. Plus, my work is here. Delhi is a very stable place for me, so stable that sometimes it almost feels predictable. I also feel that I’ve spent so much of my life in Delhi, which is why Mumbai feels like such a nice change. I really miss Delhi food though! 

What’s your favourite childhood memory?

I was a very mischievous child. My colony in RK Puram, New Delhi, had a major impact on my childhood. During Diwali, we would hide crackers in letterboxes and run away, ring doorbells numerous times and trouble everyone. During Holi, we would climb on the roof and throw water balloons from there… those were precious moments.

Does being an outsider in Bollywood help?