Showing posts with label Varun Badola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Varun Badola. Show all posts
We are not gentle. I give a whack or two sometimes and my child is fine-Rajeshwari Sachdev
8:10 AM
He was dubbed ‘TV’s Aamir Khan’ for his meticulous approach to acting. She won a national award at the age of 22. Television and theatre actors Varun Badola and Rajeshwari Sachdev met on the sets of ‘Antakshari’ in 2004 and married soon after. Parents to a teen son today, the couple also recently played mom-dad on screen in a web series. They spoke to Neha Bhayana about old-school versus new-age parenting and their disciplining style
Neha Bhayana (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 25, 2026)
Your son Devagya is almost 16 now. Is it getting easier or tougher to parent as he grows up?
Varun: The level of difficulty changes every few months. When we were kids, we were busy giving grief to our parents. So, by the time I realized that my father was right, I had a son who thought that his father was wrong (laughs). But, in all seriousness, you learn as the years pass by. The child starts from where he cannot even communicate what he’s feeling, and reaches a point where he is probably communicating to others and hiding from parents. So, the scenarios keep changing, and not for once can you just let things pass. It doesn’t get easier.
As you mentioned, communication does become a challenge when the child enters the teenage years. Do you have any tricks to get Devagya to listen to you?
Rajeshwari: Make friends with his friends, so you get information from the other side (laughs). Honestly, there is nothing one can do. How much do you let go? How much do you hold on to? Times have changed. Not that we didn’t give our parents a hard time. They must have had their own challenges. But I feel that earlier, children were allowed to make more mistakes. Times were more forgiving. Now, everything you do is under a scanner. You can tell your children that mistakes are what you learn from, but you can’t make some mistakes these days because they might never leave you. Today, when a child tries something, somebody has photographed him, the internet has caught that moment, and it has gone viral. And then it stays with the child forever. So, while I completely understand what teens are going through, I tell my son, please don’t try doing this anywhere because people are not so kind anymore. People don’t have that much patience with allowing kids to grow up.
You can just hope that your child will come and tell you everything that’s happening in his life, which they obviously don’t. They go through their peer pressures and stress of trying to fit in. As parents, we are trying to handle this in the best possible way, like trying to be open about things so that he can come and talk to us.
The way couples are parenting today is very different from the pre-2000s style. What, according to you, are today’s parents doing right and where are they going wrong?
Varun: The situation has changed so much that we can’t say what is right and what is wrong. If there was Instagram and YouTube in our time too, then we could have compared. At that time, the problem was that kids were out playing till 11 pm. Now, kids spend all their time inside and with screens. One big difference is that these days, kids ki kutaai nahi hoti jaise humari hoti thi (kids don’t get beaten up the way we used to).
That’s true. So, what’s your take on this new trend of gentle parenting?
Rajeshwari: Nahi hum gentle wentle nahi hai. Ek aadh to mera haath chal hi jaata hai and baccha theek hi hai mera (We are not gentle. I give a whack or two sometimes and my child is fine). People can hate me for this, but I am not gentle. The fact is you can’t always spare (the rod). Sometimes, kids do such things that make us want to give one tight one.
Varun: Do you know how dogs discipline their kids? They bite their child’s ear. Wolves too. Even animals have their boundaries and ways of keeping their kids in check. Pehle toh maarte hue agar maa ki chudi toot jaati to aur zyada pitai hoti thi ki dekh teri wajah se chudi toot gayi. Ek samay aise aaya ki pitaai isliye hoti thi ki tujhe maara aur tujhe fark hi nahi padta. (If mom’s bangle would break while whacking us, she would hit us more. There was a time when she would beat us because the beatings made no difference to us).
Rajeshwari: We are going to be trolled after this interview! Yes, yes, we know you are not supposed to raise your hand on your children.
Varun: My mother now simply declares that she was a bad mother.
Rajeshwari: (laughs) Oh yeah. My mother-in-law is so different as a grandmom. She has given good whacks to her son, but if I happen to even raise my voice while talking to my son, she does not like it. I am not allowed to scold him. My father is the same. Unka free hand chalta tha hum logo pe (he used to freely whack us), but if he sees us reprimand our son, he will go like “Arre, he is growing, it is ok. He is exploring.”
Varun: We were also exploring but we didn’t get excused.
Do you think ‘hormonal changes’ has become an easy excuse for bad behaviour and attitude of teens? We went through puberty too but didn’t act out so much.
Rajeshwari: No, I don’t think it’s an excuse. Even we had our hormonal changes, but there was a certain speed at which we were growing up and consuming information. Depending on the pace at which you watch what you’re watching, your brain also goes on an overdrive. I’m sure everything around your hormones is also going on an overdrive. So, there must be some truth to it. I’m sure even in our times, our parents did understand that there are hormonal issues. Maybe we took that one step ahead. These kids may be taking four steps ahead. I feel the more we allow our children to be sensitive to things and people around them, things will somehow stay in line. Fortunately, so far, our son is occupied by a lot of things and there’s not much time for tantrums. Let’s see how it goes.
In your latest web series ‘Co-Ed’, the two of you are playing parents of teenage kids. How close is it to your real-life situation?
Varun: It is very close. When you see the show, you realize that there are so many issues that kids face. They are handling relationships, friendships and trying to fit in. They are trying to understand how to grow up. One can relate to it.
Your son is in grade 10. These days, there is a lot of pressure to get perfect scores in boards. How are you helping him cope? Do marks matter to you?
Rajeshwari: The pressure is there no doubt. In our time, no one scored 99%. If someone got first class, halwa was made at home. We considered 65% wow and if someone got distinction, it was like an engineer is born. So, this trend of perfect scores is a bit difficult to handle. But our son is very happy with whatever marks he gets. We don’t stress about grades too much, but the fact is that if you have to cross the sea, then you have to make efforts towards that. One cannot be sitting idle and saying, “Oh, it doesn’t matter at all.” It will matter because the world is moving a certain way. But is that the only way to do it? Is there a way to work around it, so that there is less stress? Maybe the child is good at other things? Yes, we do look at that. If he ever says, “There is an exam tomorrow, so I won’t play today,” I tell him he has to go down and get some fresh air and work his lungs a bit. One has to balance.
Does your son watch your films and serials? Is he a fan or a critic?
Varun: He does discuss our performances and talks to us in his new lingo: “You’re good, dad. I liked it.” But he is neither a fan nor a critic, I would say. He’s still trying to understand how it works. I can tell you that from my own experience. There was this one particular character that my father (journalist and actor Vishwa Mohan Badola) played on stage, where there was a lot of singing involved. My father was a very good singer, but I never gave it a thought. But when he was older, someone else played that character. He was an equally good singer, but the difference that I saw in the performance was huge. That day, I realized that it is not just about the singing, it is about how you approach the character. We tend to take our parents for granted. It was probably late in my teens that I realized that what my father brings to the table is very different.
Out of all the shows that I’ve written (as a dialogue writer), Devagya has seen only one and that’s because Raj (Rajeshwari) was in it. He is 16 now, so we have allowed him to watch some adult content, but not everything. I figured he must have learned more profanities in school than what the shows have anyway.
Having a child can either bring a couple closer or drive them apart if they have very different approaches to parenting. What has your experience been like?
Rajeshwari: One basic rule in the house (if my son reads this, he will say, “Okay, now I understand”) is that we communicate and arrive at decisions together. It is never just ‘my decision’ or ‘his decision’. We have mutual respect. If at all, we have different opinions we come to a point where we say, let’s do this and see.
The rise of instant delivery apps has fuelled a habit of instant gratification among kids, making life harder for parents. How do you deal with your child’s demands?
Rajeshwari: Honestly, we can’t change things much. We used to get money for ice-cream only on the last day of exams. We can’t do this. There are ads every second tempting our kids. Everything is so accessible. But if my son asks for something big, he has to wait for it. There has to be an occasion or a reason. Of course, sometimes we have to agree, but sometimes I tell him that I don’t want to spend money on this at this point of time. Then, he has to wait six months or so to get it. I have realized the importance of making your child wait or they will never have patience for other things in life. You never know whether they will get everything that they desire instantly, so they should learn to be patient.
My father had this interesting practice. If we were out and we asked him to buy us something, he would say, “You like it...wonderful. But let’s go home and after two days if you still want it, then we will go to buy it. But if the desire dies down and you are not thinking about it, we will not buy it.” I learnt the lesson and it stands true for me even today. Sometimes, one wants to just hit the like button and buy something, but if you wait for a couple of days, you realize you don’t really need it. I try to do the same with my son. Whether I succeed or not, only time will tell.
Newbies have the advantage of being young and relatable-Varun Badola
11:06 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 7, 2025)
In the last few weeks, director Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has become a phenomenon, having recently crossed the Rs. 500 crore mark. And actor Varun Badola feels Mohit and lead actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda are to be credited for the film’s runaway success.
Varun, who played Krish’s (Ahaan) dad Ashok, says, “It’s a great feeling; this success belongs to the main actors and the director.” He adds, “When I was called for the film, I was told, ‘Lamba role toh nahin hai, lekin yeh do scenes aap abhi padh lo — we promise they will remain the way they are.’ There’s a certain honesty that you look for in films. One example is the scene where my character tells Krish, ‘Pyaar mein khud ko barbaad mat kar lena’.”
Reflecting on the film’s reception, the 51-year-old is all praise for the two newbies. “A lot of hard work is done to prepare newcomers today. They have the advantage of being young and relatively unknown, jo iss film ke liye kaam kar gaya, as they’re seen as relatable. With Amitabh Bachchan sahab or Shah Rukh Khan, characters feel larger than life. One sees themselves in new actors.”
While he expected the film to do well, crossing such a milestone is something even the makers might not have seen coming, Varun muses. “Har aadmi chahta hai woh achchi film banaye. Saiyaara did three-four times the business it was expected to do. Waisi wali success ko predict karna bahut mushkil hai,” the actor ends.
If you are portraying someone from the lower middle class, it cannot be glamorous-Varun Badola
9:12 AM
The actor talks about why it has taken him five years to return to television post Mere Dad Ki Dulhan
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; July 22, 2025)
It is not uncommon for seasoned actors to find themselves in a lull between meaningful roles. This is something Varun Badola did not quite anticipate after his stint with Mere Dad Ki Dulhan (MDKD). Returning to television after almost five years with Itti Si Khushi, the actor reflects on the surprising silence that followed.
He admits, “Honestly, there hasn’t been a big role offer in the last five years. Every new show is a gamble. Everyone tries to make a good show, but sometimes you have to be lucky to get an MDKD. I really thought I would be flooded with offers afterward or at least get something meaningful. But no, it didn’t happen that way. And so, here we are, five years later.”
Varun’s reluctance to settle for anything less than substantial was key to his decision to take up Itti Si Khushi. He shares, “From an actor’s point of view, the biggest draw is the level of difficulty in the character. It is not straightforward. That’s what I always look for.”
Is it age, experience, or increased selectivity that makes roles harder to come by? He replies, “It is a combination of all the above, or maybe even more. MDKD was a risk. People usually avoid going salt and pepper on television. And to top that, they asked me to look as shabby as possible. I said, ‘Perfect, that’s how I want to do it’. This new character also requires me to go salt and pepper and look unkempt. I guess the start is fine (smiles).”
On the industry’s obsession with gloss, Varun has a clear perspective. He says, “There is a belief that everything we make should look glossy. But if you are portraying someone from the lower middle class, it cannot be glamorous. If you are playing one of those characters, you had better look the part.”
Though often seen in grounded, realistic roles, he does not feel boxed in. He says, “I don’t think I am getting stereotyped. The characters are different from each other. What binds them is honesty. Being real has always helped the character connect with the audience. Because these shows are not like stories where a family business is worth Rs. 500 crores and yet everyone is sitting at home. Not that I have anything against such shows. Some of them do work.”
And will he be comfortable being part of one of those glossy, grand shows? He replies, “No one has ever asked me about it. Let us leave it at that. Whether I would say yes or not is a different story, but no one has asked.”
No sex scenes in Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, which has become a lot on OTT shows these days-Sidharth Sengupta
8:14 AM
Director Sidharth Sengupta on how his love for thrills influenced Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, which is filled with twists
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; November 26, 2024)
Even after 20 years in the television industry, writer-director Sidharth Sengupta often feels like he doesn’t know enough about the craft. This feeling of humility, he says, pushes him to do better. The result? In 2021, he delivered a sleeper hit in Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein. Three years on, he has returned with the second season of the Tahir Raj Bhasin, Shweta Tripathi and Aanchal Singgh-led web series. In a chat with mid-day, Sengupta discusses why it took him three years to craft the next season, and how he maintains objectivity in his writing. Edited excerpts from the interview.
Why did it take you three years to return with the second season of Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein?
The second season was a little more difficult to write. I wrote various versions, but was not happy. I was ashamed that it took so long. There was a lot of to and fro. I was not enjoying some of the versions, or some drafts were brilliant, but were high on budget or impractical. When I started writing this, I had to think, where am I ending this? So, by the end of collaborative effort and with a lot of feedback, we finally came to this version.
How do you know a certain draft is the right balance of romance, intrigue and twists?
There is no certain way to know that. I remember sitting with Varun Badola [writer-actor] where we thought it was a great episode, but halfway through, we both got bored. So, you keep discovering as you write. The idea is that you shouldn’t get bored. I’m an impatient viewer and filmmaker; I get bored very soon. If you don’t catch my attention in the first 30 seconds, I’ll get bored. That is something I practice in my writing also.
For a person who gets bored so easily, how did you survive the pace of television for 20 years?
While I was working in television for 20 years, I had these stories in my mind and no outlet for them. TV is a writer’s medium. When I stepped out of the TV industry, I realized I did not know anything. This is after 20 years of winning a lot of awards. When I started writing, I realized it’s such a beautiful art that it keeps reminding you that you don’t know anything and keeps humbling you. That pushes me to explore a lot of things.
How do you ensure that you don’t fall in love with your work so much that you don’t see the flaws?
Firstly, I’m not in love with my work, actually I hate it sometimes. Then I have Umesh Padalkar and Saurabh Shukla, who keep reminding me that I have to be objective about the script. I push myself in writing, and then I run to them saying I screwed up somehow. They are both great writer-directors. I keep taking their help, we write together. They keep me in check ki main zyaada na phail jaau.
Did you feel the pressure of making the second season after the first edition’s success?
I kept the pressure away from my head. I didn’t even know that my show had become a hit. I just keep doing whatever I can. The good part is that everyone at Netflix has always been [supportive]. There were times when I wondered if it would work or not, but they were confident, so was my team. They all believed in me. I’m not a writer by profession; I started writing very late in my life. So, for me, it’s a hit and miss. That’s why it takes a little more time.
The second season seems gorier than the first, especially with the body hacking scenes.
The stakes have to go higher in the second season. A boy has committed a crime, so he has to face the consequences.
Do you practise self-censorship when making the project?
I do, but sometimes we need to go a little beyond. I had to put [the hacking] scene because you are seeing an ordinary man doing something so heinous. His ethos or ordinariness has to go out. Having said that, I’m not too fond of gore, unless it’s needed in the story. But there are no sex scenes, which has become a lot on OTT shows these days.
What made you cast Gurmeet Choudhary this season?
When I was looking for this character, he fit the bill. I wanted somebody who could pull off action as well as drama. [The team] had a discussion and was charged to have him on board. My cast is very passionate and I wanted somebody equally passionate. He shouldn’t be a dharti pe bhoj on the set [laughs].
I did one show that I disliked personally, it’s the biggest hit of my life-Varun Badola
8:23 AM
Proud to be part of Undekhi that creatively satisfies him, Varun Badola recalls how he sometimes starred in shows that brought him money but not peace of mind
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; May 17, 2024)
Varun Badola might be the latest entrant in the cast of Undekhi, but he has been associated with the series as a dialogue writer since its origin in 2020. Shifting from behind the scenes to the screen was an easy decision for the actor. “I knew the show’s structure. Plus, Harsh [Chhaya, lead actor] and I have been friends for long. Deb [Dibyendu Bhattacharya] and I have known each other. So, I knew it’d be a comfortable zone. The character had a certain intrigue to it,” he smiles.
Choosing a story based on the script and characters’ merit are important to Badola, who has become a dependable actor in television and OTT. But selecting his projects is a luxury he can afford now, he points out. Earlier, there have been days when he struggled to put a meal on the table, forcing him to take up work he didn’t believe in.
“There comes a time when you are worried how the next meal will come to the table. Then you pick up [projects] that you probably dislike. I’ve done that three to four times. I did one show that I disliked personally, it’s the biggest hit of my life. I earned humongous popularity from it. I did it because I had no work; it was another opportunity to earn more money. I got everything from it except peace of mind,” he recounts, referring to a popular drama.
If his three-decade career has taught him something, it’s that an artiste has to choose between bank balance and peace of mind.
“You might [rarely] get both, but that’s like wishing upon a shooting star.” So, what does he have today? “I have returned from the shoot of a show, and there is a lot of peace of mind.”
Rituraj Singh was already popular when Shah Rukh Khan joined Barry John’s theatre group-Varun Badola
8:26 AM
Mimansa Shekhar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 22, 2024)
For actor Varun Badola, the news of his Banegi Apni Baat (BAB) fellow actor Rituraj Singh’s death left him in a state of shock as he says Singh was more than just a colleague for him. “Even my wife did not break the news to me. I knew Rituraj as more than a co-actor. It’s shocking, too close for comfort,” says Badola, who received the tragic news a little late as he was travelling.
“I have seen Rituraj’s popularity and stardom. Sometimes, when someone departs, your world suddenly shrinks for unknown reasons,” adds Badola remembering Singh, who died of a cardiac arrest on February 20.
Though Badola and Singh appeared in separate tracks of the cult ’90s show, he got introduced to Singh post his stint in BAB. “It was a landmark show and Rituraj was the hero. We met at its after-parties and he was a huge [star] at that time. His stardom wasn’t restricted to TV. He was a global person, quite a live wire and one of the most promising actors who entered the industry at that time,” recalls Badola, 50.
Surprisingly, the actor’s favourite performance of Singh was from his theatre days. “Rituraj was already popular when (actor) Shah Rukh Khan joined Barry John’s theatre group. He did an English play titled Lend Me A Tenor. It was pretty flawless, and he was brilliant in it,” Badola concludes.
We can get more creative than just use abusive language on OTT shows-Rajeshwari Sachdev
8:04 AM
Rajeshwari Sachdev, who was in Lucknow recently, spoke about why she prefers OTT projects over TV and how the medium can do without unnecessary cuss words
Akash Wadhwa (BOMBAY TIMES; June 28, 2023)
Travelling to her favourite city Lucknow, actress and singer Rajeshwari Sachdev made sure to take some time out for Ganjing. Rajeshwari who was travelling with hubby Varun Badola, went to eat her favourite basket chaat in Hazratganj. The couple also did some chikan shopping in Janpath. "This is something which is like mandatory for us to do whenever we are in Lucknow," shared the Shaadi Mubarak actress.
Rajeshwari, who has been missing from the small screen for quite some time, shared what is keeping her away from the medium, the trend on TV and her stint on OTT. Excerpts...
On being away from television for long
Television is a big commitment so it better be very good so that you stay interested in doing the show for so long. Till now, I have always been offered good roles on TV but how I look at it is that it should be something different from what I have already done in the past. It need not be the main lead part as it is generally very cliched but for the other roles that I am offered, I want them to have layers. Also, I am busy with regional cinema, work on OTT and I am very active on the theatre front. I will not say that I don't need money, but I do not run after it. So whatever little I do on TV I charge a handsome amount.
'Abusive language has to be used very wisely'
Telling us why she prefers OTT to TV shows, she says, "I love working on the web as it is less time-consuming. A web show is like shooting two films together. The interest stays alive while working on web shows. But slowly the medium is becoming a bit scary. I am not for censorship on OTT but there needs to be some sort of self-censorship. The kind of language, the kind of scenes we have on the platform these days, jo pehle ikka-dukka hua karti thi being the need of the script, now they are springing up everywhere. Abusive language has to be used very wisely. Now it is being used to sensationalize the project. I am sure there will be saturation of this trend too. We can get more creative than abusive language and intimate scenes on OTT. But yes it is a great place to be as so many new concepts are emerging on it."
On TV trends in India
Television is going to stay. Till the time women are there and they will have time to watch TV, television will continue to work. Family viewing is still possible on television only. Content on this medium is mostly governed by trends of who is watching what. Whenever my mother-in-law is there at my place, we do watch Anupamaa and Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein. That's the only time I watch Indian television.
Akshay Kumar kickstarts shoot of Capsule Gill; hopes to wrap up UK schedule by August-end
8:13 AM
Akshay kickstarts shoot of Capsule Gill, based on Jaswant Singh Gill, hoping to wrap up the UK schedule by August-end
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 10, 2022)
Undeterred by the debacle of his last film, Samrat Prithviraj, Akshay Kumar has swiftly moved on to his next. The actor headed to England on July 4 to kickstart the shoot of the film, tentatively titled Capsule Gill. The film is based on former additional chief mining engineer, the late Jaswant Singh Gill, who saved the lives of 65 people trapped in a flooded coal mine in Raniganj of West Bengal, in 1989.
“Jaswant Singh Gill’s heroic rescue operation is counted as one of the most successful missions in the history of mining. The unit of Capsule Gill is shooting at a farm in the Yorkshire area [England] which had many deep coal mines,” informs a source close to the unit.
The last operating deep coal mine in the United Kingdom, Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire, closed in December 2015. Directed by Tinu Desai, the film, also starring Parineeti Chopra, Pavan Malhotra, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Ravi Kishan, Kumud Mishra, Varun Badola, among others, is expected to wrap up the UK schedule by August 22.
“The 48-day first schedule, which kicked off earlier this week in England, will wrap up on August 22 with the rest of the cast. Akshay will shoot in England till July 31. He is currently shooting some dramatic action scenes with action director Parvez Shaikh. After the first schedule, shooting will resume from September across Mumbai, Amritsar, Raigarh and Raniganj,” adds the source.
When I was writing for TV, the idea was not to have the same conversation-Varun Badola
9:49 PM
Actor Varun Badola who turned dialogue writer for the recent web show, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, speaks of disassociation, willing suspension of disbelief and enjoying his simultaneous careers equally
Sucheta Chakraborty (MID-DAY; January 23, 2022)
“The way Goldie [director, writer and producer Sidharth Sengupta] and I work is that he sends me an open file with the screenplay; I just push the space bar, create space for myself and start writing dialogues,” says actor Varun Badola, known for his work in television serials like Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani, Koshish - Ek Asha and Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand. Badola admits that he writes primarily for friends like Sengupta and hints at the organic nature of this working partnership. Besides being a well-known face in the Indian television circuit, Badola is also an accomplished dialogue writer, having worked for prominent web shows including ALT Balaji’s Apharan and Undekhi on Sony Liv.
Assisting Tigmanshu Dhulia in Haasil and Charas when he was only 22, and functioning as his additional dialogue writer helped him learn the ropes, shares Badola, now 48. It was an experience he put to good use when he was roped in to write episodes and scenes for Astitva, Koshish and Ek Chabi Hai Pados Mein later. It was his work on the latter which Sengupta came in to direct, that he believes got him the Apaharan job in 2017, a show which Badola believes holds some of his best work.
The two writing processes, however, have been starkly different. In television, Badola explains, one could be writing the same situation five times over. “When I was writing for TV, the idea was not to have the same conversation, the same words, but to think of something new which was difficult, because one needs to have more ideas.”
The writing for web shows on the other hand, needs to be taut and precise, he says. So, does he prefer one format over the other? “I have never written for personal satisfaction or achievement,” he responds. “It’s something to do with the way we’ve been brought up. The idea is to get the job done. Writing a good scene is just about that sometimes.”
Among writers he has admired over the years, the Salim-Javed pair still stands out, as the actor-writer recalls a scene from Don where the character’s release from jail is accomplished in less than 20 seconds. “Because they have already established that Don is so [influential], there is no need for explanations about security lapses, for instance,” he points out. “Bas story aage bhagao”. “If anyone has used willing suspension of disbelief to its fullest, it has to be them.”
At the same time, in spite of Hindi cinema’s dependence on such stellar writers, Badola is quick to point out how this creative sect in our country still does not get the credit or respect it deserves. Badola himself however refrains from writing screenplays and stories as those would take up too much time and prevent him from dedicating his energy to acting. “I don’t want to give up on acting as I love the craft. The idea [ultimately] is to have fun [with both].”
The years have taught him to make the conversations he writes, more precise although he hasn’t consciously thought of growth in spite of having practised the craft for so many years. “The charm of writing a dialogue and of doing something new would be completely lost then,” he notes. At the same time, there is no strategising involved. “When I write a scene, I still write everything that comes to my mind and then we decide what stays and what goes,” he says.
For a creative individual whose simultaneous careers have frequently collided—he has spoken lines he had himself written in shows like Astitva—Badola hasn’t found one art to outweigh the other. “I am in love with the whole process,” he declares. There is also a need to disassociate oneself from one’s writing, he points out, because as an actor he may have visualised a scene differently from how another actor chooses to play it. “If everybody is acting to your whims and fancies, then perhaps all the actors will start looking the same,” he observes. “[The point is to] never get too emotional about your creation.”
Varun Badola pens an emotional farewell letter for father Vishwa Mohan Badola
7:56 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 25, 2020)
New Delhi: Well-known actor and journalist Vishwa Mohan Badola, remembered for his performances in Swades, Jodhaa Akbar and Munna Bhai MBBS, passed away on Monday. He was 84.
Badola served in various newspapers including The Times of India and The Pioneer and participated in more than 400 plays for AIR. A noted theatre artiste, he was associated with various Delhi-based groups including Abhiyan, and also acted in TV serials such as Zindagi Kitni Khoobsoorat Hai and Amma and Family. He received plaudits for his work in the moving “Google Search: Reunion” ad which received over 15 million views on YouTube alone.
“My father never sat me down to teach me anything. He made learning a way of life for me.” his son actor Varun Badola wrote on Instagram.
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BOMBAY TIMES (November 26, 2020)
Veteran actor and theatre personality, Vishwa Mohan Badola, 84, passed away due to age-related illness this week. His son, actor Varun Badola took to social media and penned an emotional farewell letter and called him a legend. He wrote, “A lot of people crib about the fact that their kids do not listen to them. Many forget that kids are always watching them. My father never sat me down to teach me anything. He made learning a way of life for me. He set an example so exemplary that I had no choice but..., follow.” He credited his dad for all the talent he has. “If you think that I am a good actor, blame him. If I write, he has to take the onus. If I sing... well, if I had just about 1/10th of his singing talent, I would have become a singer.”
He goes on to add, “I left Delhi and came to Mumbai because his name was too big in that city to counter. I protested that people judge me, they unduly favour me because I am your son. He promptly told me to go and find my own identity some place else if I thought his name was a hindrance. He told me to always operate out of my comfort zone. He made me a man.”
The actor concluded the letter by saying, “Not many know that he was a journalist by profession. A master on South East Asian affairs. Travelled the world twice over. He did more than 400 hundred plays for AIR. He was an actor par excellence. When he sang, time stopped. Make no mistake, this man was a legend. But for me, he was my father. A father who was always watching and always listening. So ladies and gentlemen The Man, The Legend, The Phenomenon has called it a day. But his legacy will stay on forever in various forms. Mr. Vishwa Mohan Badola 1936 - 2020 (sic).”
Many celebrities, including those from the theatre world, took to social media to pay tribute to the thespian. He is survived by his wife and three children, including actress Alka Kaushal and RJ Kalindi Badola.
Ranveer Singh can’t get Kapil Dev’s bowling as perfectly as I can-Varun Badola
8:11 AM
Saptaparna Biswas (BOMBAY TIMES; January 19, 2020)
Back in 2016, Varun Badola made a small appearance as Kapil Dev in the Emraan Hashmi-starrer Azhar. A self-confessed cricket fan, Varun says he is now looking forward to ‘83, which will feature Ranveer Singh as the cricketer.Though Varun maintains that he may not have been convincing in his look, he is sure that no other actor can nail Kapil Dev’s famous bowling action like he does. “I have had the same bowling action since childhood. In fact, in a friendly match in Mumbai, S Sreesanth pointed it out and said that my action is exactly like that of Kapil paaji,” says the Mere Dad Ki Dulhan actor, adding, “For Azhar, the makers called me a couple of days prior to the shoot so I didn’t have any time to prepare. But, no matter how good or bad I looked on screen, I knew one thing for sure that even at four in the morning if anyone told me to bowl like Kapil Dev, I would get his bowling action right.”
Ask him about Ranveer’s look in Kabir Khan’s ‘83 and Varun smiles, “He’s done a fabulous job with the look! I’m yet to see how he gets the mannerisms on screen, but one thing I can bet for sure — he can’t get Kapil paaji’s bowling action as perfectly as I can!”
Varun also shares that he is in touch with most members of the 1983 World Cup winning team. “I am personally in touch with most of the team. Jimmy paaji (Mohinder Amarnath), Ballu paaji (Balwinder Singh Sandhu) and Sandeep paaji (Sandeep Patil) are good friends and I have even played with Kapil paaji.”
The actor, a huge Kapil Dev fan, says that there can never be another cricketer like Kapil Dev. “For the longest time, everyone has tried to get into Kapil paaji’s shoes, but no one knows what size shoes he wears! Kapil paaji can win any game he plays. A sports club in Delhi had put up a billiards table. Kapil paaji ne waha 100 ke break maarne shuru kar diye. Toh baaki logon ne khelna band kar diya soch ke ki ye aadmi table pakdega toh chodega nahi. I played a tennis ball cricket tournament with him in Goa. He was 54 then and even at that age he ran and caught a flat catch! Kandha toh gaya, but what was commendable was that he was so agile at that age. He was born to be an athlete,” says Varun.
Applause Entertainment announces a dark thriller drama series, Your Honor
7:54 AM
(Clockwise from left) Yashpal Sharma, Sunjoy Waddhwa, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sameer Nair, Suhasini Mulay, Mita Vashisht and E Niwas
MUMBAI MIRROR (September 12, 2019)
Close on the heels of successful drama series like Criminal Justice, City of Dreams and Hostages, Applause Entertainment, the content studio from the Aditya Birla Group, led by Sameer Nair, announced the completion of their latest drama-thriller, Your Honor. Adapted from the Israeli series Kvodo, distributed by Yes Studios, Your Honor has been produced for Applause Entertainment by Sphereorigins.
Dark, gripping and morally complex, it tells the story of Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill), a judge known for his uncompromising honesty. His attempt to protect his son Abeer Khosla (Pulkit Makol) who is involved in a hit-and-run accident triggers a disturbing downward spiral of events, as Bishan uncharacteristically obstructs justice to hide the truth.
The series, directed by E Niwas, is adapted by writer Ishan Trivedi and produced by Sunjoy Waddhwa. It also features Mita Vashisht, Varun Badola, Yashpal Sharma, Parul Gulati, Suhasini Mulay, Richa Pallod, Kunj Anand, Pulkit Makol, Mahabir Bhullar in key roles.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment says, “At Applause, we aim to create premium content that will appeal to the discerning mass audience in India and across the world, and Your Honor is a perfect example of this vision. E Niwas has helped us craft a stunning thriller, and we are excited to have on board a dazzling array of talented actors, led by Jimmy Sheirgill”.
Jimmy Sheirgill adds, “The substance of the story is what convinced me to take up the part. The length an individual can go, burning all the bridges and principles for the ones he loves, is truly compelling.”
Director E Niwas says, “I am excited to mark my digital journey with Your Honor, a show packed with intense emotions and depth of characters. I am glad to have worked with creative minds like Sameer, Deepak and Sunjoy to re-create this adaptation.”
Sunjoy Waddhwa, CMD of the production house Sphereorigins says, “E Niwas has helmed the Indian adaptation brilliantly which has resulted in a truly gripping drama. Our entire team is very thrilled to have associated with Sameer Nair and Applause Entertainment.”
Your Honor will be streaming soon on a leading OTT platform.
Mumbai is haunting & inspiring at the same time-Ayushmann Khurrana
7:56 AM
Ayushmann Khurrana talks about his equation with the city
Harshada Rege (DNA; August 3, 2016)
Ayushmann Khurrana tells us about first coming to
Mumbai in 2002, his first year in college, as part of a theatre group,
participating in IIT Mumbai’s Mood Indigo. He remembers being excited to
be here that first time, having always wanted to be an actor. He also
talks about comparisons with hometown Chandigarh, the friends he made
here, his fav places, what needs to change in Mumbai and more...
Chandigarh vs Mumbai
“I must say that I discovered that there’s more to Mumbai than just Bollywood. That was also the first time I saw a beach (Juhu beach). I was overwhelmed when I saw the ocean for the first time. The one thing that I noticed was that it had so many cultures. Chandigarh is just Punjab and nothing else. I moved to Mumbai in 2007. Once I moved here, the one thing I realised is that the people in Mumbai are very non-judgmental. In the north, there’s a lot of show-off... People judge you by which car you use, what brand you are wearing. In Mumbai it doesn’t matter whether you are using public transport or you are driving in luxury cars. People here will judge you for the person you are, tum jo kaam karte ho usse log tumhe pehchante hain...that’s such a great quality that the city has"
Buddy baatein
“When I first came here, I stayed illegally in a hostel. A friend of mine was studying to be a doctor, he was staying in a hostel so I lived with him for a month. Rajeshwari and Varun Badola supported me for a month. I am glad that I had good friends in the city. Now I have many friends, not just from the industry, but from different walks of life. It’s great to have friends who are from outside the industry, their perspective of life is very different and very real.”
Only in Mumbai
“I am always grateful to be from Chandigarh because my family is there, and it’s greener. It’s healthier to live there. Apart from that, this is now home. Mumbai depicts life in its entirety. This is the only place — probably in the world — where you will see slums right next to a five-star hotel...but that’s life! You will never see that in Delhi or Chandigarh. It makes you see life in a very pragmatic way because there’s no difference between people. People from different strata of society travel together in the trains... that happens only in Mumbai.”
The city’s spirit
“Initially, when I was new to the city, I used to travel by autos. I used to talk to auto drivers often and everyone had a story to tell. Everyone in Mumbai has a story to tell. And I am a good listener. Rather than speaking, I listen a lot. I miss that today. In my initial days of struggle, I used to meet people while travelling or sitting at a place or chatting to the autowallah or having a chai and talking with the chaiwallah or even talking to the watchman of the building... Diversity is the spirit of the city. Acceptance is the spirit of the city. People are accepting and adjusting. We may complain that the roads are dirty, the city is unclean, which is true, but it is accepting of everyone. It is a massively populated city, we are adjusting to various things like pollution and traffic, and yet we are happy.”
My fav places
“Among the places that I love are Carter Road, Marine Drive and the Worli Seaface. I visit these places once in a while. I park my car and just sit there for an hour or two thinking about life. I often compare Mumbai to the vastness of the ocean. It’s haunting and inspiring at the same time. When I saw the ocean for the first time in 2002, I was overwhelmed.”
What we need to change
“The one thing that we need to change is the standard of cleanliness. After coming to the city, I realised for the first time that people take off their shoes when they enter their houses. That never happened in Chandigarh. We just enter with our shoes. Even in the gym, here you have to carry a different set of shoes. They won’t allow you to wear the shoes that you have walked in with. That only happens in Mumbai because it’s so dirty outside. We should realise that we take so much pains to keep our houses clean, it’s our responsibility to also keep the surroundings clean. We don’t allow dirty shoes in the house because we want to keep our house spick-and-span. I think we should treat the city as our home and keep it as spick-and-span.”
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