THE MONK WHO DRIVES A JEEP

VIJAY VARMA TELLS JITESH PILLAAI HE DOESN'T NEED ANYONE'S VALIDATION FOR HIS CHOICES

- JITESH PILLAAI

Vijay Varma is a Marwari from Hyderabad. He’s a method actor who somehow fits seamlessly into commercial films. Though he can do all kinds of work, he’s most known for films where he played the villain. You loved to hate him in Darlings and his character Shiva from the Telugu film Middle Class Abbayi has a separate fan base, despite him being the antagonist. He’s someone who can be trusted to deliver no matter what. Filmmakers have come to realise that and hence he’s getting author-backed roles written for him. His self-deprecating humour is refreshing indeed, as is his preference for always being a student of his craft…

What advice would you give to a young Vijay Varma today?

(Laughs) I would tell him painting kar, poetry likh, kheti baadi kar! (Read more poetry, paint more and even indulge in farming)

You play a lot of dark and brooding characters. Do you have a lot of darkness in you that acting heals?

Actually, when you put yourself in those situations and play these parts, it becomes a vessel to address and discover that you have these broken pieces inside you. I remember I did a film called Rangrezz (one of my first appearances on screen), and some close friends went to watch it. They appreciated the film, but one of them pointed out that I had a lot of anger in me and looked like I was raging in every frame! I would attribute it to the years of waiting, the frustration, and my angst, which erupted and manifested itself on screen.

Can you talk about your struggle and the auditions you failed in your initial days?