In this week’s edition of The Role That Changed My Life, Vijay Varma talks about his breakthrough role as Moeen in Gully Boy and how that pulled him back from his breaking point.
Vijay Varma is a legitimate star today. He recently starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Jaideep Ahlawat and just a month ago, starred in two big series, one as the protagonist and one as an antagonist. But this stardom, this fame has come his way after years of struggle. There were phases in his life when Vijay felt this stature, this place was away from his grasp. And then something happened that changed his life.
Vijay first appeared in a small role in the 2012 film Chittagong but for years, he was limited to bit roles that largely went unnoticed. In 2016, his role in Pink was appreciated but the critical acclaim did not bring more work his way. Ask him which was the role that truly changed his life and the actor does not miss a beat before responding, “That was clearly Gully Boy because that is the film after which people considered me. I won’t say they took me seriously but it opened many doors for me.”
Moeen in Zoya Akhtar’s 2019 hit Gully Boy gave him the recognition he had been craving for and brought a lot more work his way. The film and the role came to Vijay at his lowest phase in life. He recalls, “I felt a little more relieved in life. Because by then, I was almost shattered. I was on the edge of breaking down because I had begun to feel that I won’t be able to do this (acting) in my life. I could see no way ahead. Everything was dark.”
The actor said that in many ways the role and the praise he got after that gave him his lost confidence back. “That gave me a lot of relief. It brought back a sense of confidence again that I had lost,” says the actor.
After Gully Boy, Vijay went on to do small roles in Ghost Stories, Baaghi 3, and web series like A Suitable Boy, Mirzapur, and She. But with Darlings, he began to be cast in lead roles as well. 2023 has clearly been his year as the actor has headlined projects like Dahaad, Kaalkoot, and Jaane Jaan. And the 37-year-old is just getting started.
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 "Vijay Varma in Gully Boy")
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