One would imagine him to be euphoric after earning a place among the cast of A Suitable Boy, an official adaptation of Vikram Seth's bestselling novel and easily among the most ambitious projects of the year. Especially so since it is helmed by one of the finest talents the country has witnessed, Mira Nair. But Vijay Varma voices the apprehension that every actor probably feels before reporting to a set, when he says, "Initially, I was so scared of doing A Suitable Boy.

Two months of a marathon shoot in Lucknow later, the actor — who plays Rasheed in the six-part BBC series — looks back at it as the "most poignant experience of my career so far". "When one walks onto a Mira Nair set, you are expected to flourish. She is a task master who expects everyone to bring on their A-game."