Being bad never felt this good—Vijay Varma tells us why

You’ve loved him as the roadside ruffian Moeen in Gully Boy, pull a fast one as Sasya in She, and be a double delight playing twins Shatrughan Tyagi and Bharat Tyagi in Mirzapur. Vijay Varma, just like the name of his last film, Darlings, is an actor who audiences absolutely love, to hate. And that, for him, is the biggest compliment of his work, one that lets him play grey characters, for who they well and truly are. 

In an interview with Bazaar India, Varma talks about being typecast as the antagonist and playing characters that the audience detests, albeit, on screen.

Harper’s Bazaar: Having played a host of ‘negative’ characters, do you feel you’re getting typecast as one? 

Vijay Varma: Yes, you could say that I am. It’s a two-way deal, right? I get those offers, and I accept them. I have received scripts where I am playing the ‘good boy’, the one who’s nice and kind, full of romance. It’s just that the characters or stories have not been juicy enough. Look at Darlings for example, it’s a character that no one has pitched to me before. It’s a different take on a bad marriage. To play ball with someone like Alia (Bhatt), Shefali (Shah), and Roshan (Mathew), was such an incredible feeling. I’d rather play ball with them anyday! 

And I’ve always done different roles. There have been some instances and characters where I didn’t play the antagonist. In Mirzapur, I played a double role for the very first time. It’s very challenging to play a personality who has shades of grey. Despite it being far from easy, I like playing such parts. It’s allowed me to grow as an actor immensely.

I am sure I will have plenty of opportunities in time where I will do something different and break that typecast. 

HB: We've often heard of actors taking time to get out of the skin of the characters they are playing. How do you stay positive while displaying the many shades of negative in a character? 

Vijay Varma: Because you remember you’re acting at the end of the day. As much as you’re affected by the emotions and situations taking place in the story, over the years you learn to switch on and switch off. Yes, you have to bring your life, personal experiences, and some parts of you to these characters. But at the same time, it is important that you know who you are and revamp yourself after each film. It (the character) is not yours anymore, it belongs to the director, and eventually belongs to the audience and stays with them.  

HB: Speaking of characters that the audience loves to hate. What do you make of it? 

Vijay Varma: Love and hate are the audience's giving. I have no control over that. It can be hate-hate, love-love, love-hate; it could be anything to be honest. My job is to essay a character and be as authentic as possible. I don’t hold back or soften up a character to make it feel likable. They say kutte ki dum, tedhi hi rahegi (a dog’s tail will always remain curled). But I feel like these conversations need to be had in households, which is why I did a film like Darlings. 

And, I take the love-hate or even hate-hate as a compliment. I think, ‘okay, that’s a job well done'. The people who actually know me know that I am nothing like the characters I play.

HB: Would you say you are driven by content then? Or would you care to be a massy hero? 

Vijay Varma: I don’t think I’ve ever been considered a massy hero. I would most importantly like to have a body of work that I feel proud of. That’s my only goal. I like to stick to what I like. 

HB: Is there a 'good boy' role that you would like to play and have in mind? 

Vijay Varma: Actually, to be honest, I’ve already done it. I can’t say what it is, but I play a person who’s full of goodness. He’s an idealist, very loyal, and lovable. Although I don’t in any way feel compelled to play an accha insaan (a good person) when I choose to be part of something. In a script, I’ll do whatever’s more exciting, be it me doing terrible or great things.

Feature image: itsvijayvarma / Instagram