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Vijay Varma opens up on the impact of being in a ‘public relationship’ and media overexposure: People saw me in a…
Marking his return on screen recently with Gustaakh Ishq, Vijay Varma talks about this 14-month gap, the impact of his ‘public relationship’ and media scrutiny
The intrusive nature of the pap culture has been a point of discussion in the industry, and the recent comments made by actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, gave it more heed. Actor Vijay Varma returned with a project, Gustaakh Ishq, recently after a gap of 14 months since his last outing. While the gap is not much longer, Vijay used to have such frequent releases that it feels like a bigger gap, and one of the reasons behind the gap is the media exposure.
Ask him if he took that gap deliberately because of being overexposed to the media and he agrees, “The work wasn’t coming out, so the conversation was about everything else.” Vijay Varma was in a public relationship with actor Tamannaah Bhatia that became headline grabbing topic for a while. He adds, “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. 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.”
Check out the entire chat with Vijay Varma and Manish Malhotra here:
Vijay started off his career with minor and antagonistic roles, but he eventually became a leading man, and now a leading romantic hero with Gustaakh Ishq. Mention that he is in his ‘lover boy’ era, and he says, “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 to his relationship with Tamannaah Bhatia.
Reflecting on his journey from being a character artiste to a leading man, the actor says, “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. 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.”
