Varun Tej: I want to entertain all, not just one section of audience

With two films lined up this year, F3 and Ghani, and two others he’s working on, the actor says he is still figuring things out as every day is different

Changing physique and training for roles brings the character alive on screen and Varun Tej knows that. The actor has worked hard for his next film Ghani, where he plays a boxer. “I have been training for the role for a while now. It involves a lot of discipline, both mentally and physically. I have a personal trainer and a nutritionist for the film along with a National Level Champion Boxer, Neeraj Ghoyat, whose training me for the role and teaching me the nuances of the game. It is a lot more complex when you put on the gloves, but I am getting the hang of it and hopefully you will be amazed with the output as we are trying to get it as real as possible We have faced quite a few challenges due to the pandemic, but we are back on our feet with our gloves on,” says the Antariksham 9000 KMPH (2018) actor.

After six years in the business, the actor admits that he puts in a conscious effort to be different from each movie and role.

After six years in the business, the actor admits that he puts in a conscious effort to be different from each movie and role. “I am always learning with every film, as every film teaches you something different either personally or professionally. As an actor, I would say, I am still figuring that out as every day is different and our goal is to reach and entertain all and not just stick to one section of the audience. I like to challenge myself. The scripts and roles I pick are based on the screenplay and the narrative. The art of storytelling, the characterisation of the role and the conviction/confidence in the director is what I look for before I green light any film,” he says, adding that last year, he learnt a lot of new things and got the chance to “view matters from a different perspective in life”, while professionally, he is glad to be “back to doing what we love”.

With two films lined up this year - F3 and Ghani and two others that he is working on, the actor shares that he prefers this pace. “I always love to work, the more busy I am the better because entertaining the audience is what we aim at, along with keeping our passion alive on day-to-day basis. I never force myself into projects, if it is interesting and I believe I can pull it off to give a different experience to everyone watching, I’ll take the leap of faith and hope for acceptance for the risk.”