An on-duty cop armed with an airtight vision – that was my introduction to Vijay Varma when I pressed play on Netflix’s in-house production ‘Jaane Jaan’ almost a year ago. And smitten I was. So much so that I missed my train station while watching the movie on my way to work. I was required to ingloriously make a detour by adding almost fifteen odd minutes to a route already tainted with a three-digit minute mark. Such is the allure of a man who’s self-made in this industry, defined by the “less talk, more show” ordinance.
Lately, theatres and OTT platforms have been abuzz with Varma’s name, and hence, the relatively newfound stardom birthed a question about his relationship with fame and quietude. When I quizzed Varma about it, he called it a conscious choice. “I don’t want to bore the people with anything further than what they already have. I’ve also played a considerable number of negative characters and if there’s any sort of hate I might encounter regarding my characters, I don’t want it to trickle down onto my family.”
Currently bingeing on ‘Succession’ and tripping (his words) over Glass Beams’ new album ‘Mahal’, which is funnily also my watchlist and recurring playlist summed up, I lend serious ponderation to why we’re not intrinsically connected twin flames doing endless side-quests yet. Missing train stations and all, you know. In his case, airports, maybe.
Now, everyone, go stream ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’. Expanding on his films of choice, he gushes about his infatuation with 70’s Hollywood. “I’d love to be a part of any early Martin Scorsese film – I mean any of them, be it ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Casino’, ‘Taxi Driver’, or even as recent as the period drama he made – ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’.”
He also credits legends like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Marlon Brandon as influences integral to his acting learning curve. However, he motions for establishing a boundary even when there’s talk of such greats and muses, “I saw traces of them and realised that I was trying to imitate and imbibe their qualities and style, which I identified as a bit of a problem. I immediately tried finding my style and, to quite an extent, gave up on the habit of observing the actor to a degree that would leave too strong an imprint on me. But having said that, actors like Irfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan, and Mr Bachchan are the few people whose presence has shaped not only me but also legions of people. I’m sure there is some of their essence, you know, that I carry with me.”
The ‘Darlings’ actor touts Kareena Kapoor and Jaideep Ahlawat as a fun bunch to work with. He also harbours a sweet spot for Pankaj Kapur, whom he lovingly refers to as ‘Kapur sahab’, along with Radhika Apte and Jackie Shroff, his castmates from ‘Ok Computer’. Currently shooting for an Amazon original title, ‘Matka King’, this Nagraj Manjule directorial is set to keep him occupied till the end of this year, which is why he has his eyes set on a big holiday. Deserved. “I’d like to learn a new skill, take a course or see the world.”
One thing that caught me off-guard was Varma’s expansive musical repertoire – he’s a devout Hip-Hop disciple; cue the Eminem bops, some Dr Dre’s in the mix, and, of course, a little Snoop for the pizzaz. “I listen to a lot of local Hip-Hop from across the globe actually – some French, some German, some Russian, some Spanish, some Malayalam, some Marathi. Tamil Hip-Hop is also pretty kick-ass. Of course, ‘Gully Boy’ exposed me to the Bombay rap scene, so there’s that. I really enjoy listening to long Qawwalis, too. Something like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Sometimes, those songs go on for twenty minutes, making me enter a trance-like state. Also, my Shazam is a shortcut on my phone, so if I hear something nice, I immediately save it.” It’s no surprise the Gen Zs love him.
His rootedness and candour offer ample help in setting him apart from his contemporaries, those trying to fit into a mould tediously stagnant. He’s free. Unshackled. Pleasantly warm. Like a personification of a warm beverage. Maybe a hot chocolate or a healing lemon-ginger tea? (Vijay, feel free to pick either based on your taste.) Or is he a coffee person? Should’ve asked him that, ah.
ELLE India Editor: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Photographer: Megha Singha; Lead Stylist: Komal Shetty; Asst. Art Director: Alekha Chugani; Makeup: Nisha Singh; Hair: Durga Prasad Bhandary; Bookings Coordinator: Anushka Patil; Assisted by: Barnaa Raha (styling); Artist Reputation Management: Spice PR
