Bollywood actor Vijay Varma, who has made his on-screen comeback with Gustaakh Ishq after a 14-month gap, has spoken candidly about why the break felt longer than it actually was, and how the relentless attention around his private life contributed to that pause.
When asked whether he consciously stepped back because of excessive media exposure, the Darlings actor admitted that the atmosphere around him had shifted at a time when he didn’t have new work releasing.
“The work wasn’t coming out, so the conversation was about everything else,” he said. His relationship with fellow Indian actor and dancer Tamannaah Bhatia had become a major talking point, repeatedly making headlines regardless of whether he addressed it or not.
He explained, “I would have liked complete silence but that’s not possible. I have not spoken to the press since IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, not given a single interview, yet the presence is all over and it’s beyond my control.”
Varma added that this kind of scrutiny has become unavoidable for people in the public eye today. “But this is something that this generation is going to suffer from unless you live in a cave. Your decisions and your lives are being scrutinised every single day, so that’s how it is. I did need a gap, I needed more silence. But that’s something I didn’t have any control over.”
As Gustaakh Ishq positions him as a romantic lead, Varma acknowledged that public perception may have shifted partly because of the attention on his relationship.
Responding to a remark that he seems to be in his “lover boy” phase, he said, “I feel it was a byproduct of being in the spotlight for being in a public relationship. People saw me in a certain way,” referring again to his time with Tamannaah Bhatia.
Discussing his evolution from supporting and antagonistic roles to becoming a leading man, Varma said he never worried about being typecast.
“I have never really worried about being inside any kind of box because I know I have more to offer. So, even when supporting parts were coming my way and negative parts were what people were remembering me by, I knew I would grow out of it. I have a lot more to offer.”
He added that this transformation was not accidental but the result of years of perseverance. “I wanted to journey into being a leading actor. I spent a few years without work or doing minor parts. Because of my sincerity and the relentless pursuit I have for the craft, I knew I deserved to be a leading actor and I worked towards it.”