At the recently concluded St Xavier’s College’s annual event, the Malhar Festival, Vijay Varma opened up about his skin condition, vitiligo (which causes patches of skin to lose their colour). In a chat with us, he elaborated on how he has dealt with it, given that he is part of an industry where physical appearance is a crucial factor, and actors often face scrutiny for it.

“See, I didn’t make a big deal out of it,” says the Dahaad actor, adding, “It is just a cosmetic thing, and it is not really anything that can change the course of your life. We make it a big deal because it is something which is out there, but I have never really made a big deal out of it.”

Ask Vijay whether, over the last 12 years in the industry, he has faced any setbacks because of his skin condition, and he replies, “It used to worry me when I was an out-of-work actor. I would wonder if this would become an obstacle. But ever since I have been working and seeing a lot of success, it hasn’t bothered me.”

The actor says that he covers it up only when he faces the camera. “I have covered it up for my movies because it just distracts, and I don’t want my audience to look at anything else except for what I want to show them, so that is the reason I hide it. But for all my public appearances, for all these years, I have never bothered to cover it up. People these days are very intelligent, and I feel that today’s generation has an innate sense of responsibility. I have never been spoken about loosely for my skin condition. Maybe if it was some other time, then this could have possibly become a topic of discussion.”