Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 3, 2023)

Varun Sharma, who made his debut as Choocha in Fukrey (2013), completes 10 years in the industry this year, and while he’s thriving in the comedy space, the Chhichhoreactor tells us that he’s ready to move on to the dark side and showcase different facets of his talent.

‘Comedy was never an agenda’
“When you are new to the industry, you are only looking for some interesting work to come your way. Comedy was never an agenda. I was a regular boy who used to stand outside in a queue of 400 – 500 people for auditions. Of course, comedy is something I personally enjoy doing as it gives me a lot of peace and happiness. Being a 90s kid, I have grown up watching slapstick comedies. But over the years, the genre has evolved, and today, we keep things very real and subtle and still make people laugh. While I have explored so many sub-genres, I am yet to try my hand at a dark comedy.”

He adds, “Initially, I never thought I could do comedy because I was doing theatre for four-five years back home in Chandigarh. After attempting comedy and with the kind of reaction I got, I realized it was fun to be a part of the genre and its sub-genres. Over the years, humour has evolved.”

‘Can anyone imagine me playing a serial killer?’
“I am a huge fan of thrillers, and I would like to explore something in this genre. Thanks to the OTT platforms for the kind of content they are churning out in such different spectrums today. They are banking on talent and are funding them to do what creatively satisfies them. I would like to do a thriller and play a dark role sometime soon. Imagine playing a serial killer, would anybody imagine me doing that? I have been telling my team ki aisa kuch interesting karte hai. A Varun Sharma who makes you smile and laugh can also terrify you as a bad boy on screen.”

‘Physicality for an actor varies from character to character’
“If a role requires me to have six-pack abs, then I will get it. Physicality for an actor varies from script to script, character to character. You cannot imagine a Choocha with a chiselled body. Personally, of course, being physically and mentally fit is really important. But at the same time, in whatever shape you are, you have to be happy at the end of the day. People come up to me and say, ‘You are very cute’, but no one says that you are very hot. Cuteness is also the new hotness; people should understand that (laughs).”