Tanuj Virwani thought he was ‘unemployable’ after his initial films flopped: ‘Nobody wanted to cast me’

Tanuj Virwani said that he felt 'unemployable' after his initial films did not do well, as no one wanted to cast him. The success of Inside Edge turned things around for him.

Actor Tanuj Virwani, the son of veteran actor Rati Agnihotri, felt that he was ‘unemployable’ after his initial films - Luv U Soniyo, Purani Jeans and One Night Stand - did not perform at the box office. He said that no one wanted to cast him in any projects after these failures.

Tanuj, who expected to arrive in Bollywood ‘with a bang’, could not make a mark with his first few films. However, he bounced back with the Amazon series Inside Edge, in which he plays hot-headed star cricketer Vayu Raghavan. The popular show has been renewed for a third season.

Remembering his ‘fascinating’ journey in the entertainment industry, Tanuj told The Times of India, “When I look back at my first decade as an actor, it has been quite a roller-coaster ride. I thought I would arrive in the industry with a bang, but instead, I landed with a thud because my first few films were a disaster.”

“I really felt like I was unemployable because nobody wanted to cast me. When Inside Edge happened, web series wasn't mainstream like it is now. But I made the best of the opportunities presented to me,” he added.

Earlier, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Tanuj talked about how the people who called him ‘box office poison’ after his flops praised him after Inside Edge became a success. “It’s hypocrisy to another level. The same people who raise you, pull you down and raise you back again,” he said, adding that he has learnt to ‘detach’ and let neither the praise nor the criticism get to him.

Last year, during the lockdown, Tanuj wrote, directed and produced a short film titled Anisht. He has a number of web series in the pipeline, including 7th Sense, Line of Fire, and Tandoor, which marks the digital debut of actor Rashami Desai.