HIGH STAKES ROLLER

VIJAY VARMA HAS ALWAYS RISKED ALL FOR ART. SUMAN SHARMA JOTS DOWN HIS VIEWS ON LIFE, ACTING AND CAREER

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There is something quietly magnetic about Vijay Varma. He does not walk into a scene merely to perform; he unsettles it, energises it and often steals it. From indie gems and gritty thrillers to mainstream spectacles and streaming sensations, Varma has built a career on fearless choices and emotionally layered performances. Warm, witty and refreshingly selfaware off screen, he represents a new generation of Hindi cinema actors who value craft over convention and complexity over easy heroism. His recent OTT series, Matka King, saw him as an antihero who gambled all and laughed even as the house of cards blew away. Excerpts from a merry chat with the consummate actor...

Matka King is set in the '70s. What do you like about that era?

When I went to the Film Institute, the '70s felt like one of the most impactful decades, especially for cinema, not only in India but globally. Even today, the influence of the cinema of that era is visible in films across the world. In India, it was the age of SalimJaved, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor. In Hollywood, there were films like The Godfather, Taxi Driver and the works of Martin Scorsese. There was Woody Allen's Annie Hall and works of Dustin Hoffman and Marlon Brando. So many extraordinary actors and filmmakers emerged during that decade. It had a tremendous impact on cinema as an art form. As a student, I watched many films from the '70s and absorbed a lot from them. Even the music of that era was exceptional, not just inIndia but across the world.

What novelty did you see in the role of Brij Bhatti in Matka King that made you accept it?