Vijay Varma has been on fire, delivering one critically acclaimed performance after another, experimenting with genres and styles, making each character his own. Last year’s Darlings was followed by Dahaad, Lust Stories 2 and the deliciously dark Kaalkoot that allowed Vijay to retire his bad guys (for the moment) and play the moral heart of the show. Despite the shades of the characters he prefers to portray — the darker than dark villains or the Nirma white hero, the actor always delivers.
Vijay has been playing on the front foot, with most of his success coming in OTT space. “I am not able to bifurcate between the audience and I haven’t had any (theatrical) outings in a while. My special experience in Super 30 and Baaghi 3 was there. I would love to go back and I would be surprised if people would be waiting for me there,” Vijay explains.
Now headlining films on his own, definitely shows life is changing for the better for the actor. “I don’t see much change inside me, but life has become easier,” says the actor who further explains, “There are far many people who want to collaborate. I don’t have to think about money when I make life decisions. So that has become a bit more comfortable… It’s like how you are a good football player and there are many clubs ready to fund you.”
Asked if the love for fame and recognition puts any pressure on him to keep delivering hits, Vijay vehemently reacts, “I haven’t burdened myself with the expectations of other people as of now. I have just been doing what I wanted to do, the way I want it to do.”
Aiming to be the ‘most sincere person on the set’, Vijay further adds, “My criteria are still the same, I want to still be fascinated with what I read, and I still want to be willing and enthusiastic about collaborating with the filmmakers who are attached to the script. I would want to be the most sincere person on the set. The game is going to be the same and because I am in good form right now, I would want to continue doing what I am doing.”
While Vijay is enjoying the well-deserved accolades, the revelation of his relationship with Tamannaah Bhatia brought his personal life into the focus as well. Something, he is still getting used to.
The speculations around the couple started at the beginning of 2023 and resulted in paparazzi following them during their outings or fans reading carefully into their cryptic posts on social media. They eventually confirmed their relationship during the promotion of their anthology film Lust Stories 2, making them one of the most sought-after couples in the film industry.
Vijay shares how he feels about fans’ shift in interest in his personal life and how he is getting accustomed to it. “First of all, it’s news to me that we are one of the most sought after couples. It’s very humbling and very nice but I wasn’t used to it when it first happened. I was very used to roaming around on my own. We go out together and we tend to get a lot of attention…”
So did he anticipate this attention and is okay with it? “I am not particularly comfortable but I am just trying to get used to it,” says Vijay.
Not just his personal life but his sartorial choices are also getting a lot of attention.
What has changed suddenly for Vijay? “I think a little bit of effort, especially from my stylist. At the same time, there is effort in intent as well,” he says.rrr