Vijay Varma will play a pivotal role in Mirzapur 2. (Photo: PR Handout)For actor Vijay Varma, coming onboard an already successful franchise was an exciting experience. “I’m very happy to enter this world,” Vijay said. The actor joins the second season of crime thriller Mirzapur, as the scion of the Tyagi family in the race for the throne of Mirzapur.
In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Vijay got candid about coming onboard as a Bihari character, working with an ensemble cast and how his life changed in the past one year.
Excerpts from the conversation.
As a new cast member, where do you fit in the scheme of things in Mirzapur 2?
To be honest, nobody can ask for a better setup to walk into. The great part is the introduction of a new family which I’m a part of — the Tyagi family. I’m the son and Lilliput ji is playing my father. It’s an interesting combo. There are such iconic actors in the show. Now, I want to see if I can create a space of my own in this incredible series.
The show has a certain tonality and texture. How did you see its first season as an audience?
I was blown away. It’s the first time we saw Divyenndu in a role like that. He previously did comedies. Or for that matter, Rasika, who we’ve never seen playing this sultry Bhabhi kind of a character. The dialogues were so filmy and pulpy. At the same time, they were so rooted, had the boldness and every element was so attractive. I thought these guys are doing something really interesting.
You play a character from Bihar. Were there any nuances you had to adapt in order to not make it clichéd?
We had to take care of certain things. Of course, it’s a different region from Mirzapur, and since we are introducing new characters from that region, we wanted to make them authentic and different from the rest of the Mirzapur players. So a lot of work went into it. Writer Puneet Krishna helped me in understanding Bihari. Then I saw a bunch of reference videos. I saw interviews of Pankaj (Tripathi) ji who’s from Bihar. I worked on my diction, the culture part, body language. Since he belongs to a business family, I needed to understand that business aspect too.
In an ensemble cast, actors sometimes tend to get lost. What are the strengths of your character?
I love when the project already has powerful people in the team. There is never a fear of being invisible because when you work with ace actors, even you come out shining. Also, there was a lot to play around with my character. He had his own identity. There’s so much drama around him that people will love him.
How was it working with such amazing actors?
It was a delight. It was an easy and fun experience because they are the finest we have right now and they happen to be my friends. It was basically a picnic for most of us. These people were functioning under the pressure of season one. I was a free bird to do whatever I wanted to, with no baggage from the past. You really enjoy working with people you admire. It was one of those experiences.
Also read: Cast on Mirzapur 2: Divyenndu Sharmaa | Shweta Tripathi | Amit Sial | Harshita Gaur | Rajesh Tailang | Rasika Dugal
Your life has changed in the last one year with remarkable projects. Do you think you are lucky or it’s a culmination of your consistency?
I think it’s a mix of both. When I didn’t get success, I felt I was not lucky. When I tasted success, I understood that I was lucky to be getting work. Anybody who’s working is putting in their hard work. At the same time, there is a factor beyond your understanding because there are so many people who want to work. Even I was one of them, but for years I was out of work. I think anybody who’s doing what they want to do, is lucky. It’s a tough world.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Entertainment News, download Indian Express App.