Dussehra is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, a theme that resonates as much in our epics as it does on screen. This year, Vijay Varma celebrated the festival exclusively with Bombay Times, bringing a touch of tradition to the occasion as he arrived dressed in traditional attire. In a conversation with us, he recounted childhood memories of Dussehra, reflected on the timeless significance of the festival, and shared his thoughts on what it takes to be the new-age leading man.

Sharing his memories from Hyderabad and Rajasthan, Vijay says, “I have two distinct memories of Dussehra, each rooted in a different place. One is from Hyderabad, where I was born and raised. We would go to a mela held on a massive ground near the Old City, where they would burn the effigy of Ravana. It used to be incredibly crowded, and I remember sitting on my father’s shoulders to get a better view of the ceremony. That image has stayed with me. My second memory is from Rajasthan, where I lived with my grandmother for a few years. The Ramleela performances there were beautiful.”

Reflecting on Dussehra’s age-old theme of good triumphing over evil, the actor believes that human nature cannot always be separated as black and white. He says, “I find humanity in everything. You may disagree with a lot of things about people, and some people may be terribly wrong, but as an artiste, my job is to investigate those who are seemingly discarded as bad people. If there is no representation of different kinds of personalities, our collective understanding of them remains limited.”

The actor, who headlined the series Matka King this year, one of the highlights of his career, adds, “Great drama lies in conflict, and conflict cannot exist only in white; it has to have shades of grey. My understanding of grey helps me understand both white and black. I don’t see white and black as complete in themselves. Any flaw in a character becomes an opportunity for me to understand him. I cannot understand a flawless person. My job is to shed light on these complexities and portray them truthfully so that the story works.”

He adds that every role pushes him to confront his own inhibitions and prejudices. Citing Matka King, he says the character’s honesty in a corrupt system made him particularly fascinating to explore. He says, “Every new character pushes me to break my inhibitions and set aside my personal biases and prejudices. In Matka King, I found a fascinating character in a man whose superpower is his honesty. In a system where people can be bought and manipulated, an honest person becomes dangerous.”

The burning of Ravana’s effigy represents the destruction of negativity. Reflecting on the personal and professional obstacles he has overcome, the actor says learning to rise above failures and self-doubt has been an important part of his journey.

“As artistes, we have to go deeper, overcome our inhibitions, biases and prejudices, and work on the obstacles that hold us back. I spent years with no recognition, success, work or money, and no certainty about tomorrow. The biggest challenge was to keep going with hope, without letting my spirit break. Failures can bring you to rock bottom, but they also help you rediscover your strength and improve yourself. Ultimately, the pursuit is to become a better version of yourself.”

From playing Moeen, the drug peddler in Gully Boy, Hamza, the abusive husband in Darlings, to Anand Swarnakar, the serial killer hiding behind the facade of an ordinary family man in Dahaad, the characters he portrays are flawed, morally complex and far removed from the traditional leading man. Does he believe he is part of a new generation redefining what it means to be a hero?

He explains, “I feel like I’m the face of a new kind of Bollywood, because the traditional kind of films that used to be made are not being made now. In fact, they are not making those films even with younger stars. Where is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na? Where is a film like that? Where are the films that Shahid Kapoor starred in during his earlier days? That switch has happened. I am just fortunate to be in this place where stories that I like are being made. There are actors who are very good at bringing people to the theatres, but I think I am an actor that will make sure that people will not leave the theatre. An actor’s job is to capture them and give them an immersive experience where they don’t even want to look at their phones.”

Talking about being a part of Ramleela on stage, he shares, “I have been part of a Ramleela during my time at FTII. Jaideep Ahlawat played Ravana, another friend played Ram, Sunny Hinduja was Hanuman, and I played Jatayu. Later, I even played Sita in one of the short films we made as students. I have never played Ravana on screen, but I have portrayed my own versions of the character in different ways.”

(Location Courtesy: The Tanjore Tiffin Room, Versova)

For decades, Mukesh Mills has been an integral part of the city’s imagination. Bollywood turned its abandoned sheds into everything from 1960s Bombay to suitably sinister backdrops for horror films. Fashion designers found its wooden beams and Mangalore tiles delivered the sort of atmosphere that elevated a fashion show. And somewhere along the way, the Colaba mill also acquired a second identity: one where it was populated by ghosts. Now, the owners are trying to give the 10-acre property another life.

About three acres of its overgrown waterfront land have been cleared and flattened, creating a large open space between Sassoon Docks and the naval establishment at INS Shikra. The work took about a week and, for now, “It’s a blank space,” says 47-year-old Ashish Agarwal, who has overseen the mill’s affairs since 2016-17. “You could put up a little hangar and hold an indoor event or have an open-air event.”

The open-ended approach shows the unusual position in which Mukesh Mills finds itself. Its future is still tied to a long-running dispute over redevelopment, while its present is increasingly being defined by the creative industries that discovered it after its industrial life ended.

The mill was once a working textile operation with its own dock. In 1975, Agarwal’s grandfather bought it, and the family operated it until January 1982, when Mumbai’s textile strike brought work at the mill to a halt. A fire followed, and operations never resumed.

Its ruins later became part of Bollywood lore. “Bollywood came calling,” says Agarwal. “They loved this kind of moody vibe.” Amitabh Bachchan’s Jumma Chumma De De from Hum is among the location’s most recognizable appearances. More recently, productions including Matka King have recreated other eras of Mumbai there.

The supernatural mythology grew alongside the film shoots. Stories about strange voices, possessions and unexplained incidents became lore. Agarwal is sceptical of the mythology. Even the best-known documented celebrity account is less dramatic: Bipasha Basu has recalled repeatedly forgetting her lines. A caretaker subsequently suggested that she tie her hair, and a religious ritual was performed. “It’s more like a whole body of lore that has been created around the place,” Agarwal says. “Out of maybe 500 movies shot here, most of these stories probably boil down to four or five movies with supernatural themes.”

The new three-acre clearing is part of an attempt to make the property useful beyond film production. Over the past year, Mukesh Mills has hosted a food, art and culture festival, product launches, fashion events and private celebrations. Five of its 10 structures are currently usable; the others are not. The chimney, beams, pillars and industrial details are being retained where possible.

The family estimates that aside from films, series, advertisements and shoots, the use of the space for events rose from about 10 in 2025 to around 25 this year. “Bombay is discovering it,” Agarwal says. “One event brings new people to the property, who then imagine what else they could do there. The way to think about Mukesh Mill is that it has been evolving for 150 years. It started as a mill, so it was filled with mill workers. Then it became filled with film crews. We are adding the events layer. We hope it becomes a place that creatives see as a blank canvas.”

Sai Tamhankar is happy with the response she has received to her performance as Barkha Bhatti in the period crime drama Matka King. Playing the wife of Vijay Varma’s Brij Bhatti, Sai brings restraint and emotional depth to a role that could have easily slipped into stereotype.

She says, “People have been telling me that the character felt natural and layered. That’s always satisfying to hear because you want the performance to feel organic.” For Sai, Barkha’s journey resonated on a personal level. Much like the character navigating chaos and uncertainty, the actress recalls her own early years after moving to Mumbai from Sangli.

“It took a lot of mental preparation to survive on your own and face everything a city like Mumbai throws at you. The city has given me a lot and taken a lot too, but it has shaped me into who I am today,” she says.

She describes Mumbai as a city that forces resilience. “It teaches you how to manage stress, how to take care of yourself and how to survive difficult situations. In the beginning, there were days when I genuinely felt this wasn’t my cup of tea. But over time, you learn how to deal with the chaos. And once you face chaos, you begin to value peace,” she says.

Despite working in an industry driven by competition, Sai says, “I don’t see myself as part of any race. The race is only with myself,” she says. “Everyone has their own talent and individuality. If you’re thinking long-term, there’s no point in being insecure,” she adds.

The actor acknowledges the inevitability of younger faces entering the industry. “After so many years of work, insecurity shouldn’t exist. Somebody younger will always come in — that’s the way life works. I believe that with talent, work will continue to come at every age,” she says.

Matka King’s trailer teased a story fronted by Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, and Gulshan Grover. But as director Nagraj Manjule’s maiden web series drops on Prime Video today, we’ll see another actor in the cast. Towards the end of the series, Viineet Kumar Siingh is seeded as a character, who goes on to become important in the already planned second season.

Insiders revealed that Manjule deliberately kept Siingh away from the promotions to maintain intrigue. “His character comes towards the end, but it’s meant to shift the narrative. The actor shot his portions mid-2025. His character leaves things at a point where you know he will matter a lot, going forward,” said an insider.

Set in Mumbai of the 1960s, Matka King revolves around a small-time cotton trader who starts a gambling racket.

In June 2024, Vijay Varma announced that he had begun shooting for filmmaker Nagraj Manjule’s web series, Matka King. The crime drama was included in Prime Video’s slate of projects for 2025, but was a no-show throughout the year. So, where does Manjule’s series stand over a year-and-a-half since it went on floors?

mid-day has learnt that the drama — which is set in the 1960s and tells the story of a cotton trader in Mumbai, who invented a form of gambling called ‘Matka’ — will première in April 2026.

A source revealed, “Matka King’s shoot was wrapped in 2025, and the top bosses at the streamer were keen to release it the same year. But a show of this scale needed time to get the best result. It will present Bombay of the 1960s authentically, and marks Nagraj’s first attempt at a period drama. The director doesn’t believe in rushing things to fit a deadline. The show is now ready and set to drop online in April.”