Vijay Varma Breaks Silence on Sacred Games Rejection and Career Breakthrough. In 2018, Netflix’s Sacred Games marked a significant milestone in Indian OTT entertainment. Captivating audiences with its intense storyline and powerful performances. However, a lesser-known fact is that actor Vijay Varma was initially cast in this iconic series but was dropped at the last minute.
The Struggles of an Aspiring Actor
Reflecting on his journey, Varma revealed, “Casting directors did believe in me, but I was not given a chance for a long, long time. In some auditions, I was on the waitlist, in the top five, top two, and then I was locked and then I was dropped! I was locked in Sacred Games, I did my costume measurements, and then I got dropped. Stuff like that has happened, but some part of me kept the faith and belief.”
Despite these setbacks, Varma’s determination never wavered. His breakthrough came with the film Gully Boy, where his performance received widespread acclaim. “Work started coming in after Gully Boy, but I think I was so starved for work that I took a lot of it after the film,” he admitted.
Breaking Free from Typecasting
Vijay Varma Breaks Silence: Success brought its own challenges. After his role in Darlings alongside Alia Bhatt, he felt typecast in negative roles. Determined to break free from this mold, he credits directors Sujoy Ghosh (Jaane Jaan). Homi Adajania (Murder Mubarak), and Anubhav Sinha (IC 814) for offering him diverse roles that showcased his versatility.
“A part of me wanted to break it but I couldn’t possibly do it myself. I found great support in filmmakers. Who said they had seen me like that and wanted to offer me something new… The industry works in mysterious ways. When they see potential in you, they also want to give you the chance to tap on the other side of you. I didn’t break any stereotypes because I didn’t make any stereotypes. They made it, they broke it,” Varma added.