Vijay Varma is currently flying high on the success of his new series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'. However, did you know that actor was initially set to star in another hit series? Vijay, who has been out and about promoting his new series, has spilled the tea on his rather heartbreaking early days in the film industry and revealed that he was 'dropped' from a role in the hit series 'Sacred Games'. The popular series, which debuted in 2018, marked a turning point in India's OTT entertainment landscape, which could have been Varma's big break in the digital space if he wasn't replaced at the last minute.
Speaking about his career struggles, Varma shared in an interview with Indian Express, "I was locked in 'Sacred Games', did my costume measurements, and then I got dropped. But some part of me kept the faith and belief."
He went on to add that while the casting directors believed in his ability, he said, "I wasn’t given a chance for a long time. In some auditions, I was waitlisted, in the top five, top two, and even locked for the role."
Varma’s career took off after his breakout role in 'Gully Boy', but he admitted he felt typecast in negative roles after working on 'Darlings' with Alia Bhatt. He credited directors Sujoy Ghosh ('Jaane Jaan'), Homi Adajania ('Murder Mubarak'), and Anubhav Sinha ('IC 814') for helping him break free from this typecasting.
"A part of me wanted to break it, but I couldn’t do it alone. Filmmakers saw potential in me and offered me something new. The industry works in mysterious ways — they create the stereotypes, and they also break them,” he said.
Currently, Vijay is riding high on the success of his web series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack', which made its OTT debut last week.
