Gully Boy breakout star Vijay Varma talks about working with Ranveer Singh and navigating Bollywood
Feb 19, 2019 08:28:11 IST
"You have to have patience. You have to let go of every desperate thought and think apna time aayega.
This is what kept actor Vijay Varma going even after long delays in the release of his first two films, Chittagong (2012) and Monsoon Shootout (2017). But the tide turned with his performance as the vile Ankit in Pink (2016) and now, with his role as Moeen in Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy, Varma is enjoying his time in the sun.
Vijay Varma in a still from Gully Boy. Twitter
It has been a long journey of self-discovery for the boy from Hyderabad who rejected the expectation of joining his family business and, much to his father's chagrin, enrolled for the Film and Television Institute of India's (FTII) acting course. Here Vijay talks about playing the waiting game and how he came to find the right beat to play Murad's buddy Moeen.
As an actor, what aspect of your character in Gully Boy was the most challenging?
I was so charged to do this film that I took everything head on. I was flowing through the course of this film. The aspect of discovering new things with this character and making sure that his graph remains, even though Moeen comes and goes from the screenplay that was challenging. His character graph keeps on surprising you see him superficially and then you go back and further back. There are so many discoveries throughout the film. So for me the preparation was mostly mental, but the make up and hair team took more time to get Moeen's look right. There are so many layers to him that he couldn't just look like a mechanic.
What brief or directions did Zoya give you?
She provided a few very specific and insightful directions. One was that Moeen is a survivor and he survives by being enterprising. That helped me get the DNA of the character. There is the scene when Murad (Ranveer Singh) comes to me and says I need money. Anybody would feel for the character at that point. Here, Moeen is thinking, You have it all. You have a mother, you go to college'. Whereas he has nothing and he's looking after those kids. He has seen a tougher life. Once I got the nuances and the bareek (delicate, fine) moments, I was completely relaxed in front of the camera. Also it was wonderful to feed off these actors, especially Ranveer who is the most committedly giving co-actor. If he didn't have that genuine concern for me in the jail scene, I wouldn't have shown my most vulnerable side. I give Ranveer credit for that scene. He was vibrating on some other level and I had to match up.
What brought you to acting?
It was just an absolute disinterest and lack of ability to do anything else. I was an okay student but felt no necessity to excel. When I was in college a lot of people, including some girls, would say I should model because I was tall, fair and skinny. I tried in Hyderabad, but I had some bad encounters. The glamour part is fun but the people are really bad. So I did odd jobs like working for Bharat Petroleum, Idea Cellular and at a call centre, and I did badly at all of those. I failed as a marketing guy, at events and was the worst call centre employee! I did all this because my father wanted me to work with him, and I didn't want to. I knew I wanted to work in the entertainment industry and then I saw an ad for FTII's programme in the paper. I was broken when I was rejected the first time, after reaching the fourth round, because those four days in Pune at the Institute made me feel full, and I wanted more.
So how did you reverse your luck?
I went to an acting teacher in Hyderabad and did a three-month workshop. I acted in plays and experienced bliss. I applied again, cleared and in 2005, I joined FTII's acting programme. But that was not the end. Coming to Mumbai after that and trying to get work was tough. I realised I was not cut out for auditions and couldn't handle getting rejections everyday. So I stopped doing that and started doing theatre with Tom Alter. It took two more years before I landed Chittagong and Monsoon Shootout.
Did you ever get to the point of losing patience?
Yes. I wasted a couple of years waiting for these films to release and during that time, I had to restart my life. That's when Pink happened. Even though it was a small part, it was a good film made by a good team with good actors.
Do you consider Pink a turning point in your career?
Yes, it was a breakout performance externally but internally, Monsoon Shootout did a lot for my confidence and self-belief. I was the leading man, trusted with a role in a film that was premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. But, its long-delayed release did a great deal to break my confidence too.
What is next for you?
I am working on a crime drama web series by Imtiaz Ali and I have a crucial role in Bamfaad, which is produced by Anurag Kashyap and directed by Ranjan Chandel. Going forward, I know that I don't want to repeat what I have done. One plan is to work with the best directors in this country such as Vikramaditya Motwane, Dibakar Banerjee and Vishal Bhardwaj. The rest is going to be a mystery and an exploration.
Gully Boy actor Vijay Varma shares what makes Ranveer Singh special, calls Zoya Akhtar the Dhoni of filmmaking
Gully Boy actor Vijay Varma said that Ranveer Singh's commitment to each scene in the film was so strong that he had to up his game.
BOLLYWOOD Updated: Feb 18, 2019 16:10 IST
Hindustan Times
Gully Boy is riding the wave of good publicity on the back of its strong script, well defined characters and solid performances. If Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt are getting a lot of appreciation for their turns in the film, actor Vijay Varma as Ranveer's go-to friend Moeen in Gully Boy has got people's attention too.
The actor is seen in the role of a drug peddler and a car thief, who will do anything he has to survive in the big, bad world. In an exclusive interview with HT, the actor spoke about how Zoya is the Dhoni of filmmaking and what is the most special quality of Ranveer. Excerpts:
Do you know how to break into a locked car now?
Not really (laughs).
You play a drug peddler named Moeen, who also shares his car-lifting skills with Ranveer's character Murad.
I feel he is a very enterprising guy who knows how to earn money. He is trying various methods to survive as he belongs to a place where survival is the key. He will take all measures to survive and have the life he wants. He has his own understanding of how things work in his ecosystem, the way he supports the kids in his own way.
The film also talks about your and Ranveer's friendship. Were you good friends off the sets as well?
We bonded during the workshop where we met for the first time. We broke the ice while playing with the kids, listening to music, talking about pets. He was instrumental in moulding Moeen's character directly by giving me some key suggestions about how we could make this character work. There was a lot of give and take between us.
Ranveer's commitment to the scene is so strong that I had to up my game. He is an amazing co-actor.
What were the suggestions given by Ranveer?
He told me how Moeen is the king in his own world as he is the one who has the money and weed. He rules the little area where he belongs to. He explained how Moeen can crack a joke but no can play a prank with him. Zoya hasn't treated these characters like typical Bollywood friends. They have their own stories.
Have you picked any trait from his working style?
Ranveer has a very big quality. We were doing a scene where he pushes me. So we were taking a shot from the far end and then a close up and then some more shots again and again. So I just asked, do I resume the scene from half way? He said let's restart from the beginning. I said, why to waste energy on doing all from the start. He told me, "what will you do with this energy, will you take it home? Use this energy for the shot. He made sure that I do the entire scene. He knows how it will help the film.
Also read: Gully Boy box office day 3: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt film crosses Rs 50 cr mark
How different it is to work with Zoya Akhtar?
She is very charming, attentive and also very democratic. She takes in a lot of suggestions and let others give their inputs to make her script better. She is not a control freak. She likes to see what we are doing and then if she likes it, she suggests what we can keep and delete. Instead of making the performance, she is just shaping it.
She is very cool and never loses temper. I have never seen her frown or feel agitated. She is like the Dhoni of filmmaking.
Gully Boy has received a wonderful response. How is life post the film's release?
I am still soaking in the excitement. I am enjoying all the attention I am receiving right now. It's a very nice feeling. All from friends, family members to old schoolmates are calling continuously to congratulate me. My phone has become a hot tower right now.
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