Tanuj Virwani: Dhang ka kaam nahi mil raha tha, so I went for the best opportunity I got

Actor Tanuj Virwani talks about not getting successful on the big screen, shifting to OTT, and finally returning with Yodha this year, after 3 years.

Actor Tanuj Virwani, son of veteran actor Rati Agnihotri and Anil Virwani, has not done a feature film after his 2016 outing One Night Stand, also starring Sunny Leone. The actor soon made his shift to OTT after three big screen films. 

Tanuj Virwani on returning to the big screen with Yodha

He says, “Bahut simple si baat hai that I’ve done three films, but unfortunately, they didn’t work at the box office,” adding, “When you do films as the main lead, all the pressure is on you. If it works, you will get so much more work, and if it doesn’t work, you won’t get substantial roles and you will get supporting characters.”

The 36-year-old emphasises that he was just on the lookout for quality work. “Dhang ka kaam nahi mil raha tha (on big screen),” he admits, “so I was taking the best opportunities that were coming my way.”

Virwani, who will be making a comeback on the big screen after six years, says, “There’s only one way to find out ki ab vaapis jaane par reaction kaise hoga, wait for the release. There are so many factors that play a role in this. Once Yodha and the other two films I’ve done come out, we will know if the audience has accepted me now or not.”

Reflecting on this twist of fate in 2016 and how OTT has been good for him, the actor says, “It is just crazy and weird. the day One Night Stand released, is the same day I got the call for Inside Edge. Because I’ve been so busy doing stuff on OTT, and the opportunities that I’ve been provided here have been juicer and meatier, that’s why maybe I have done more of that.”

“But in the last one year, I’ve made a conscious effort to have a distinct career, where I want to work both on OTT and films. When I am in front of the camera, it doesn’t matter if it’s OTT or big screen. OTT has a wide reach of the audience and it’s massive. Having said that, I had set out to be a film actor and there’s something magical about watching yourself on the big screen. Cinema viewing is a very collective community experience, while watching something on your phone or laptop is a singular viewing experience,” he adds.

Virwani will be returning to the big screen with Yodha this year, but without forsaking his work in web shows. “If I say I want to make a comeback in movies, that doesn’t mean I want to stop doing web shows.”

As a son of a veteran actor, Virwani accepts that while there are some perks of being a star kid, he still had his fair share of struggles. “You do get a lot of perks, including easy access to members of the fraternity. But after that, you are on your own. I believe that talent is all that matters at the end of the day. The pitfalls are higher, because as a star kid, there are more expectations to be on par or better than your parent. All my successes and failures are in me. Struggle hota hai, and for me, I had the worst of starts. Imagine being a lead in 3 films and none of them working at the box office. At least on OTT, they don’t release numbers, because in a theatrical release, you are naked and exposed,” the actor ends.