&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'I’m bigger than this': Vijay Varma opens up about being typecast as the 'hero’s friend'")
Vijay Varma has consistently been transparent about his journey, from selling SIM cards in Hyderabad to hustling in his early days before establishing himself in the entertainment industry. Recently, the Gully Boy actor recalled how he once took a rickshaw to the airport terminal before boarding a private charter with Amitabh Bachchan and how his appearance at Cannes was far from as glamorous as everyone assumes.
Varma once took an auto to the airport
In a conversation with PTI, Vijay Varma recalls his early struggles and said, "The first festival that I went to was Cannes with my film ‘Monsoon Shootout,' before anything had been released. I could not have done a bigger dhamaka (blast) than that, but after this, I was sitting idle for many years. So, that was also a good surprise."
Also Read: From selling SIM cards to big screens! Vijay Varma shares his experience of entering Bollywood
He further opened up about the days when he was cast alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Pink, where he had to be in a private charter plane with Big B, and he took a rickshaw to reach the terminal. "I remember I took a rickshaw from home to the private terminal. Then I took a private charter (flight) with Mr Bachchan and went there. After finishing that, I came back from the jet, took a rickshaw, and came back home. It was a lovely journey," he added.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Varma on his earlier roles
Varma also discussed his constant fight to become a renowned actor. "From not having any work to doing smaller roles and then being restricted to them, it was hard to break out and do anything that is not a small part or not a friend who is giving a high five to the hero. Then they offered me a big villain, and they put me in that bracket very strongly."
Also Read: Vijay Varma opens up about battling with depression during lockdown; ‘I’d collapse crying for hours’
He added, “I’m like, 'I’m bigger than this, I can do more, break out of that and do something else.' Whenever someone tries to put me in a cage or a mould, I tend to just break it open.”
Unlike many, Vijay Varma's acting film career was not that easy. Earlier, in one of the podcasts with Rhea Chakraborty, the actor also opened up about his hustling days, when he used to sell SIM cards on the streets of Hyderabad. This made him value every opportunity that came later, whether it was joining FTII or getting his first film role.
Vijay Varma's work front
Vijay Varma was last seen in Vibhu Puri's Gustaakh Ishq alongside Fatima Sana Shaikh and Naseeruddin Shah, released on November 24, 2025. The actor is now all set for his upcoming series, Matka King, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. He will be seen as Brij Bhatti, an enterprising cotton trader who transforms an elite gambling pastime into a widespread, popular gambling system.
