I’m navigating Bollywood with patience and humility: Varun Mitra
Varun Mitra, who is fondly known as the ‘Kindle boy’ for the commercial that made him a well-known face in the industry, has come a long way in Bollywood shouldering mature roles as is seen in his latest release Rakshak: India’s Braves on Amazon miniTV.
Varun made his film debut with Kaash, where he starred in the lead role opposite Nidhi Sunil and Kalki Koechlin. This was followed by Mahesh Bhatt’s production, Jalebi; Guilty Minds; Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo; Bombers; Tejas. In his latest release, Rakshak: India’s Braves, he plays Lt Triveni Singh, who sacrificed his life during a terrorist attack in Jammu, and was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra.
The actor tells us about the challenges he faced while playing a real life hero, transition from ads to movies, and lots more.
“The role in Rakshak is different from anything I have ever done before because I’ve done only fictional characters created on paper so far. This was the first time that I was portraying the story of a real person, a true life hero. The story is about an incident that happened in 2004 where four terrorists attacked a Jammu station and Lt Triveni Singh, along with some of his collegues, saved the day but while doing so, he took a bullet to his head and lost his life. The role did come with a lot responsibility and I really wanted to play him as authentically as I could,” explains the actor, who apparently did a lot of preparation by reading whatever he could get his hands on and also by referring to a lot of photographs.
Varun tells us that the role demanded a lot of preparation at a physical, emotional and psychological level. “I had to understand the body language of an army person, which is distinctly different. Their spine is sort of erect. The way they perceive life is so different from how the rest of us perceive it. I tried to tap more into the mindset more than the physical aspects,” he explains.
Looking back at his career trajectory, Varun reveals that he feels lucky to have got an opportunity to play different kind of characters in each of his projects. “Every time you try to portray somebody different, you are tapping into a different part of yourself. I also enjoy the little transformations that happen in my body, and mindset. It is fun to live somebody else’s life,” he says.
Ask him how he navigates Bollywood, and he quips, “I’m navigating the industry with patience and humility because, well, I think that is the only way to do it.”
While Varun admits that he is in a happy place with challenging roles coming his way, he is quick to add that happiness is overrated. “It is a temporary state of mind and I try not to chase it. I’m in a good place at the moment; I’m getting to play some good characters. I feel creatively satisfied, which is the most important part. I want to do more projects that will reach out to a wider audience.”
Unlike most actors, Varun doesn’t have a fancy diet or workout routine. “I do my share of workouts. I’m someone who craves sugar and junk food. So, I give myself a cheat meal whenever I feel like I can and whenever I deserve it; like after every good day, or hardworking day, I feel like eating some ice cream, I order it . But I will make sure it is sugar-free, so I feel less guilty about it,” he signs off.
Rakshak: India’s Braves
can be streamed
on Amazon miniTV.
— manuvipin@newindianexpress.com