Vijay Varma recalls casting couch experience during modelling days: 'Model coordinator misbehaved with me'

Vijay Varma (Pic/Instagram)

Actor Vijay Varma's journey to becoming one of Bollywood's most acclaimed actors was far from easy. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about an unpleasant experience from his early modelling days, recalling how a coordinator allegedly behaved inappropriately with him. He also reflected on the rejections he faced before finally finding his footing in the world of acting.

Vijay Varma recalls casting couch experience

In an interview with Prakhar Gupta on his YouTube channel, Vijay said, "I tried modelling in Hyderabad, just small-time, amateur-level work. But I came across this weird model coordinator. He started to misbehave with me a little bit, like just trying to get a little touchy-feely.

"I said, ‘Bro, what is this? What are you doing?' So I got discouraged immediately. You get discouraged very quickly when you're still inexperienced. Then I thought, I should address it head-on. If acting is what I want to do, then I have to do it," the actor added.

Discouraged by his first experience in the modelling industry, Vijay decided to pursue acting. He said, "So I went to a theatre school in Hyderabad called Sutradhar School of Acting. I told them, ‘I want to learn acting.' But they turned me away. They said, ‘It requires commitment, it requires dedication. This isn't something you'll do for two days and then leave.' I thought, ‘They're not even giving me a chance.'"

Vijay then applied to the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), but faced rejection there as well. It was only on his second attempt that he secured admission to the institute.

Vijay Varma's upcoming projects

On the work front, the actor was last seen in Vibhu Puri's directorial Gustaakh Ishq. The film also featured Naseeruddin Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sharib Hashmi. More recently, Vijay featured in the Prime Video series Matka King. The show has been renewed for a second season.

He will next be seen in an anthology segment of Lust Stories 3. Apart from this, he has the high-stakes drama series Family Business in his kitty. The Netflix series stars Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma and is created by Hansal Mehta and Niren Bhatt. It also features Rhea Chakraborty, Neha Dhupia, Akash Khurana, Anant Nag, Kanwaljit Singh, and Raima Sen.