From "Monsoon Shootout" to reaching Cannes, to taking a rickshaw to the private terminal and sharing a charter plane with Amitabh Bachchan, actor Vijay Varma says his career has been a series of surprising experiences, with long periods of inactivity in between, which only ended when "Gully Boy" finally opened all the doors.
Similar to his character Brij Bhatti in the upcoming series "Matka King," a man who experiences both success and failure, Varma said his own journey in the entertainment industry has been anything but straightforward.
“The first film I worked on was ‘Monsoon Shootout,’ before it was released. I couldn’t have asked for anything bigger, but after that, I spent several years without work. That was also a surprise,” the actor, who graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in the early 2000s and moved to Mumbai, told
For his 2016 film "Pink," in which he played a negative role, Varma traveled to Delhi with co-star Amitabh Bachchan for a special screening with then-President Pranab Mukherjee, he recalled.
“I remember taking a rickshaw from my home to the private terminal. Then I took a charter flight with Mr. Bachchan and went there. After that, I came back from the flight, took a rickshaw, and went home. It was a wonderful experience,” he said.
After "Pink," Varma appeared in several films, including Tigmanshu Dhulia’s “Raag Desh,” Nandita Das’s “Manto,” and the Telugu film “Middle Class Abbayi,” alongside Nani and Sai Pallavi.
“But then again, there were periods of inactivity until ‘Gully Boy’ came along, which was a significant turning point. Suddenly, I started getting more opportunities,” he added.
"Gully Boy," Zoya Akhtar’s 2019 musical drama starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, proved to be a game-changer for Varma, who received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Moeen Arif, a street thug who is a close friend of Singh's budding rapper Murad.
“I remember the first time I heard people calling my name, my character’s name. That’s when I realized the impact a successful film can have. It benefits not just one person, but everyone involved. Both I and Siddhant Chaturvedi benefited greatly from ‘Gully Boy.’ That was a surprise,” Varma said.
Since "Gully Boy," Varma has continued to work consistently, taking on a variety of roles, including a supporting role in Mira Nair’s "A Suitable Boy," a dual role in "Mirzapur," a negative role opposite Bhatt in "Darlings," a cop in "Jaane Jaan," a serial killer in "Dahaad," a pilot in "IC 814," and a romantic lead in "Gustaakh Ishq".
Varma said his goal has always been to avoid being typecast.
“From having no work to taking on smaller roles, and then being limited to those, it was difficult to break out and do anything that wasn't a small part or a friend who was just praising the hero. But then they offered me a big villain role, and they really put me in that position,” he said.
"I wanted to do something different, something more challenging," he added.
This is something that Varma finds particularly striking in his character Brij Bhatti in "Matka King," who struggles to challenge the class divide within the world of gambling.
The upcoming show is directed by Nagraj Manjule and created and written by Abhay Koranne.
“He just doesn’t believe that only rich people should be allowed to gamble, because it’s fun for them, while poor people can’t because it’s considered morally wrong. Why is there such a divide?”
“Matka King” follows the story of Brij Bhatti, a sharp-minded and enterprising cotton trader, who navigates the fast-changing landscape of 1960s Bombay in pursuit of legitimacy and respect.
Varma said he knew little about the world of Matka, a numbers-based gambling racket that was once rampant across India, when the makers approached him.
The actor added that he agreed to be a part of the project because of his desire to work with Manjule, known for critically-acclaimed movies such as "Fandry," "Sairat" and "Jhund".
“Usually, every actor says that I want to work with this director, but I was genuinely excited about this man,” he said.
The actor describes “Matka King” as his “most mature and responsible” work till date. The show is set to debut on Prime Video on April 17.
“I’ve truly understood what it means to collaborate with your filmmaker and producer, and to be a part of the marketing process. So, I’ve been trying to learn more and more skills as I grow. I’ve matured a bit,” he said.
“Matka King” also features Kritika Kamra, Gulshan Grover, Sai Tamhankar, Siddharth Jadhav, Girish Kulkarni, and Jamie Lever.
The series is produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, Gargi Kulkarni, Ashwini Sidwani, and Ashish Aryan, under the banners of Roy Kapur Films, Aatpat, and SMR Productions.