He received rave reviews for his turn in the web series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack , where he held his own in a cast studded with Indian acting stalwarts. But Vijay Varma feels that even though he’s had the opportunity to learn a lot from his co-actors, his time to headline projects has arrived. “Going forward, I am looking primarily towards central roles, as I’ve had stints with ensemble casts.
I want to do something where I have a lot more responsibility,” says the actor, adding, “It’s a safe place to have actors such as Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra around you, with a solid director ( Anubhav Sinha ) to tell a story. I am choosing parts which have more to bite on to find more of my potential.” Reflecting on his trajectory so far, the 38-year-old says, “I played the lead role in my first film, but it was never released.
Then I really had to find my own ground and started with supporting roles.” Although Varma quickly made a name for himself in negative roles, he says he soon wanted a break from them. “It began playing in the audience’s head ki yeh hai toh kuch gadbad hi hogi!” he quips.
As for IC 814 , the actor calls it a “prestige project”. “I wear it as a medal of honour,” he tells us and continues, “It’s special because of the talent involved and [the fact that] it’s a retelling of a story from a crucial point in our history.” What sort of roles is he looking forward to now? He replies, “I’m look.