Vijay Varma

{{Infobox person

| name = Vijay Varma

| image = Vijay Varma snapped at the trailer launch of his film Jaane Jaan (cropped).jpg

| caption = Varma in 2023

| birth_date = {{birth date and age |df=y|1986|3|29}}

| birth_place = Hyderabad, Telangana, India

| alma_mater = Film and Television Institute

| occupation = Actor

| years active = 2008–present

}}

Vijay Varma is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Hindi films and series. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, before gaining recognition with the crime drama film Pink (2016). This was followed by supporting roles in Middle Class Abbayi (2017), Gully Boy (2019) and Baaghi 3 (2020). His performance in the former earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Varma has since starred in several streaming projects, including Mirzapur (2020–present), Darlings (2022), Dahaad (2023), Kaalkoot (2023), Jaane Jaan (2023), and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024).

For his performance in the series "Dahaad", he won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series (Critics).

Early life and education

Varma was born on 29 March 1986 in a Marwari business family settled in Hyderabad, Telangana.{{Cite web |last=Pillaai |first=Jitesh |date=8 November 2023 |title=Exclusive: "I am very easy to be with. I like and enjoy doing simple things," says Vijay Varma |url=https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/exclusive-i-am-very-easy-to-be-with-i-like-and-enjoy-doing-simple-things-says-vijay-varma-62403.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802205140/https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/exclusive-i-am-very-easy-to-be-with-i-like-and-enjoy-doing-simple-things-says-vijay-varma-62403.html |archive-date=2 August 2024 |website=Filmfare |quote=I belong to a Marwari family (...)}}{{Cite web |last=Vyavahare |first=Renuka |date=22 February 2024 |title=Exclusive: I hope some actors get papped outside an acting class too someday, says Vijay Varma |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/vijay-varmas-arduous-journey-in-the-film-industry/articleshow/107900608.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225010634/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/vijay-varmas-arduous-journey-in-the-film-industry/articleshow/107900608.cms |archive-date=25 February 2024 |website=The Times of India |quote=I belong to a Marwari family, born and raised in Hyderabad and we are into business.}} He studied at the FTII.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-is-hyderabad-boy-vijay-varma-really-badass-2569328|title=Vijay Varma -Actor Biography|access-date=9 September 2018|archive-date=18 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818173501/http://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-is-hyderabad-boy-vijay-varma-really-badass-2569328|url-status=live}}

Career

Varma started his acting journey as a theatre artist in his hometown Hyderabad. He worked in numerous plays before he decided to move to Pune for two years to get a formal education in acting at FTII. After finishing his postgraduate course, he shifted his base to Mumbai in search of acting work. His first acting job was in Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK's short film titled Shor which was highly acclaimed at festivals and won the Best Short Film at the MIAAC festival, in New York that year. He also worked in the critically acclaimed movie Pink.{{cite web|title=Pink is a social thriller: Amitabh Bachchan|date=11 September 2020 |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/pink-amitabh-bachchan-social-thriller-3025821/}}

Media image and artistry

{{Quote box|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|width=25em|align=left|quote="The only criteria is the script, the role and then the director. I added one more after working for a few years and that was ‘I can’t repeat myself’. I’m trying to kind of mix it up. I’m just very happy that I have a medium, an audience. As long as I have an audience, I want to keep doing good work."|source={{mdash}} Varma explaining his approach to film acting{{cite web|title=Vijay Varma says he 'won't repeat' himself, reveals criterion for choosing projects |date=20 July 2023 |accessdate=25 November 2023 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/vijay-varma-says-he-wont-repeat-himself-reveals-criterion-for-choosing-projects-8851166/lite/ |work=Indian Express}}}}

Varma is known for his critically acclaimed roles and while he has successfully portrayed the bad guy on screen many times,{{cite web|title=GQ Hype: The Rise of Vijay Varma |date=30 September 2022 |accessdate=25 October 2023 |url=https://www.gqindia.com/entertainment/content/gq-hype-the-rise-of-vijay-varma |work=GQ India}} he is known for his versatility, with Karan Johar saying, "Vijay Varma's versatility can take him to all kinds of places in the world".{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/vijay-varmas-versatility-can-take-him-to-all-kinds-of-places-in-the-world-says-kjo/articleshow/102650459.cms|title='Vijay Varma's versatility can take him to all kinds of places in the world|date=11 Aug 2023|publisher=Times of India}}

Jitesh Pillai of Filmfare noted, "Vijay is a method actor who somehow fits seamlessly into commercial films." He further praised his "self-deprecating humour".{{cite web|title=I am very easy to be with. I like and enjoy doing simple things: Vijay Varma |date=8 November 2023 |accessdate=15 November 2023 |url=https://m.filmfare.com/interviews/exclusive-i-am-very-easy-to-be-with-i-like-and-enjoy-doing-simple-things-says-vijay-varma-62403.amp |work=Filmfare}} Tatsam Mukherjee of Film Companion stated, "There's something compelling about the way he brings out the dark, repulsive shades of the roles he plays."{{cite web|title=The Rough Magnetism of Vijay Varma |date=29 March 2023 |accessdate=22 September 2023 |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/amp/story/features/the-rough-magnetism-of-vijay-varma |work=Film Companion}} Prateek Sur of Outlook India praises that actor for his "versatility" and "impactful performances".{{cite web|title=5 towering performances of Vijay Varma that prove his range as an actor |date=8 August 2023 |accessdate=11 August 2023 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/5-towering-performances-of-vijay-varma-that-prove-his-range-as-an-actor-news-309133/amp |work=Outlook India}} Praising his "flawless" acting, Akshat Sundrani of India TV News added, "Varma's passion for his craft and outstanding ability to express emotions solidify him as one of the most accomplished performers in the film industry."{{cite web|title=Reign of Vijay Varma: Bollywood's 'Darling' who continues to captivate audiences with his acting |date=23 June 2023 |accessdate=29 August 2023 |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/amp/entertainment/celebrities/reign-of-vijay-varma-bollywood-darling-who-continues-to-captivate-audiences-with-his-acting-2023-06-19-876756 |work=India TV News}} Bangalore Mirror termed him one of Bollywood’s "most enigmatic and skilled actors".{{cite web|title=It Gets Intense - Vijay Varma |date=4 October 2023 |accessdate=29 November 2023 |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/it-gets-intense/amp_articleshow/104140666.cms |work=Bangalore Mirror}} His performance in Gully Boy is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by Film Companion.{{Cite web |title=100 Greatest Performances of the Decade |url=https://filmcompanion.in/best-of-the-decade/100-best-performances-indian-cinema.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219043509/https://www.filmcompanion.in/best-of-the-decade/100-best-performances-indian-cinema.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 December 2019 |access-date=14 November 2020 |website=Film Companion |language=en}}

Filmography

class="wikitable"

|+Key

| style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

| Denotes films that have not yet been released

=Films=

All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.

class="wikitable sortable" sortable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref

2008

| Shor

| Ramesh

| Short film

2012

|Chittagong

| Subodh "Jhunku" Roy

2013

| Rangrezz

| Pakkya

2014

| Gang of Ghosts

| Robin Hoodda

2016

| Pink

| Ankit Malhotra

rowspan="3" |2017

|Monsoon Shootout

| Aditya "Adi"

Raag Desh

| Jamal Kidwai

MCA

| Siva Shakti

| Telugu film

2018

| Manto

| Ansaar Shabnam Dil

rowspan=2|2019

| Gully Boy

| Moeen Arif

Super 30

| Fugga Kumar

| Special appearance

rowspan=4|2020

| Ghost Stories

| Guddu

| Zoya Akhtar's segment

Baaghi 3

| Akhtar Lahori

Bamfaad

| Jigar Fareedi

Yaara

| Rizwan Sheikh

rowspan=2|2022

| scope="row" |Hurdang

| Loha Singh

scope="row" |Darlings

| Hamza Shaikh

rowspan="2" |2023

| Lust Stories 2

| Vijay Chauhan

| Segment: "Sex With Ex "

Jaane Jaan

| Inspector Karan Anand

2024

|Murder Mubarak

| Aakash Dogra

|{{cite web |title=Vijay Varma wraps up the dubbing for 'Murder Mubarak' with a punch of 'mad energy' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/vijay-varma-wraps-up-the-dubbing-for-murder-mubarak-with-a-punch-of-mad-energy/articleshow/105241512.cms |website=The Times of India |date=15 November 2023}}{{cite web |title=Murder Mubarak: Vijay Varma, Sara Ali Khan & Karishma Kapoor starrer 'Murder Mubarak' directly to release on Netflix skipping theatrical release |url=https://www.brutimes.com/news/entertainment/sara-ali-khan-karishma-kapoor-starrer-murder-mubarak-directly-to-release-on-netflix-skipping-theatrical-release |website=BruTimes |language=en}}

| scope="row" style="background:#FFFFCC;" |Ul Jalool Ishq{{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

| {{TableTBA}}

| Filming

|{{Cite web |title=Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh starrer Ul Jalool Ishq to go on floors in Amritsar: Report|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/vijay-varma-fatima-sana-shaikh-starrer-ul-jalool-ishq-go-floors-amritsar-report/|website=Bollywood Hungama |date=8 January 2024 |access-date=8 January 2024}}

=Series=

class="wikitable sortable" sortable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref

2010

|Rishta.com

|Rohit Gupta

2018

| Cheers-Friends, Reunion, Goa

| Ciggy

rowspan="2" | 2020

| A Suitable Boy

| Rasheed

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/a-suitable-boy-cast|title=BBC - Cast announced for BBC One's A Suitable Boy, the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's classic novel - Media Centre|website=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 October 2019|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905014114/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/a-suitable-boy-cast|url-status=live}}

She

| Sasya

2020–present

| Mirzapur

| Bharat Tyagi / Shatrughan Tyagi

| Season 2,3

2021

| OK Computer

| Saajan Kund

rowspan="2" | 2023

| Dahaad

| Anand Swarnakar

|{{cite news |title=Dahaad teaser: Cop Sonakshi Sinha pursues a serial killer who has murdered 27 women. Watch |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dahaad-teaser-cop-sonakshi-sinha-tasked-with-murder-case-of-27-women-as-serial-killer-looms-large-watch-8576431/ |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429132905/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dahaad-teaser-cop-sonakshi-sinha-tasked-with-murder-case-of-27-women-as-serial-killer-looms-large-watch-8576431/ |url-status=live }}

Kaalkoot

| SI Ravi Shankar Tripathi

|{{cite news |title=Kaalkoot Teaser: Vijay Varma plays police officer set to catch acid attackers; Tamannaah Bhatia REACTS|url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/kaalkoot-teaser-vijay-varma-plays-police-officer-set-to-catch-acid-attackers-tamannaah-bhatia-reacts-1229891|access-date=28 August 2023 |work=Pinkvilla |date=13 July 2023 |language=en-IN}}

2024

|''IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

|Captain Sharan

|{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ic-814-the-kandahar-hijack-teaser-vijay-varma-naseeruddin-shah-pankaj-kapur-lead-netflix-series-on-harrowing-incident-9492350/|title=IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack teaser: Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur lead Netflix series on harrowing incident|work=The Indian Express|date=3 August 2024}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ List of award nominations and awards won by Vijay Varma
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Award ! scope="col" \| Category ! scope="col" \| Film ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
2019 \| 26th Screen Awards \| Best Supporting Actor \| rowspan="2" \| Gully Boy \| {{nom}} \|
2020 \| 65th Filmfare Awards \| Best Supporting Actor \| {{nom}} \| {{Cite web\|url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2020/nominations\|title=Nominations for 65th Amazon Filmfair Awards 2020 \|website=Filmfare\|access-date=18 February 2020\|archive-date=3 February 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203105210/https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2020/nominations\|url-status=dead}}
rowspan="5" \|2023 \| rowspan="2"\|Bollywood Hungama Style Icons \| Most Stylish Emerging Icon \| {{NA}} \| {{won}} \| rowspan="2"\|{{cite news\|title=Check out the complete list of winners of the Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards\|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/style-icons/winners.php\|work=Bollywood Hungama\|language=en\|access-date=14 April 2023}}
Most Stylish Breakthrough Talent (Male) \|{{NA}} \|{{nom}}
rowspan="3"\|Filmfare OTT Awards \|Best Actor in a Series (Critics) Drama \|rowspan="2"\|Dahaad \|{{won}} \|{{Cite web \|title=Winners Of The Filmfare OTT Awards 2023: Full List Out \|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-filmfare-ott-awards-2023-full-list-out-62777.html \|access-date=2023-11-27 \|website=filmfare.com \|language=en}}
Best Actor in a Drama series \|{{nom}}
Best Actor (Web Original Film) \|Darlings \|{{nom}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of award nominations and awards won by Vijay Varma

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Film

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

2019

| 26th Screen Awards

| Best Supporting Actor

| rowspan="2" | Gully Boy

| {{nom}}

2020

| 65th Filmfare Awards

| Best Supporting Actor

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2020/nominations|title=Nominations for 65th Amazon Filmfair Awards 2020 |website=Filmfare|access-date=18 February 2020|archive-date=3 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203105210/https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2020/nominations|url-status=dead}}

rowspan="5" |2023

| rowspan="2"|Bollywood Hungama Style Icons

| Most Stylish Emerging Icon

| {{NA}}

| {{won}}

| rowspan="2"|{{cite news|title=Check out the complete list of winners of the Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/style-icons/winners.php|work=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=14 April 2023}}

Most Stylish Breakthrough Talent (Male)

|{{NA}}

|{{nom}}

rowspan="3"|Filmfare OTT Awards

|Best Actor in a Series (Critics) Drama

|rowspan="2"|Dahaad

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web |title=Winners Of The Filmfare OTT Awards 2023: Full List Out |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-filmfare-ott-awards-2023-full-list-out-62777.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=filmfare.com |language=en}}

Best Actor in a Drama series

|{{nom}}

Best Actor (Web Original Film)

|Darlings

|{{nom}}