In his own words, 2024 has been a “dreamy year” for actor Abhay Verma, and rightly so. After being in the industry for six years, it was this year’s horror-comedy Munjya that finally catapulted him to the limelight.

He says, “A lot of good beginnings have happened to me this year. It feels like a new life when you finally feel accepted by the audience. Suddenly, your signature becomes your autograph, your admirers become your fans.”

The 26-year-old adds, “2024 has been a dreamy year for me. From doing ads to becoming a brand ambassador, it is just amazing. The fact that I don’t need to introduce myself now is a great feeling.”

Interestingly, Verma reveals that three days prior to Munjya’s release, he was quite worried about his financial state: “I called up my best friend in my hometown (Panipat, Haryana), as I had only Rs. 1,200. But everything panned out well [post the film’s release]. I knew that Munjya was going to shift gears for me, be it the second gear or reverse.”

In 2024, all the Hindi films that crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark at the Indian box office had established actors in them except Munjya. Ask him about being a part of the coveted club as a relative newcomer, and Verma replies, “That decision was made by the audience. To get my name added with such legendary people is too good to be true.”

Verma also acknowledges the responsibility that comes with his newfound acceptance: “People are calling me a symbol of hope for newcomers. So, it’s a collective win for all of us. If one person gets a chance, 100 people find hope to live in this beautiful city (Mumbai). Earlier, I didn’t know what to pray for, but I know that now — it is not to lose this.”

Being recognised as an actor has given Verma opportunities to meet some of the people he idolizes. One of those is filmmaker Imtiaz Ali. Verma recalls, “Imtiaz sir said that it’s fortunate to find acceptance in the industry. ‘Enjoy it, but don’t let it go over your head’, he said.”

His name has been associated with actor Shah Rukh Khan’s King, too. Mention that and he says, “I don’t know if it will happen, but I hope that it does. That will give me a chance to work with the person whom I idolize and almost see as God.”