'I was kept away from the limelight'

Thoroughly Rooted

Tanuj Virwani is no stranger to the silver screen, for his mother, veteran actress Rati Agnihotri, was one of the top heroines of Bollywood during her time.

He recalls that as a five-year-old when he and his mother were at an international airport, people would walk up to his mother, calling her by the character name and not by her own name.

“It was only when I heard people run up to her to get their pictures clicked with her and get autographs signed, that I realised that my mother was a popular actress and had a huge fan following. I was kept away from the limelight and was brought up as a normal child,” Tanuj tells Metrolife. 

It was only natural that Tanuj would enter films but he made sure that he was completely groomed before he set foot in the industry.

He too, like any other newcomer, went through rigorous training and picked up lessons in acting before he signed on the dotted line.

Tanuj was pleased with his debut Love U Soniyo where he played a young man, caught in a love triangle.

“It’s a true story and the script was in keeping with a lot that’s happening with today’s generation. Love and friendship are two different elements, which evoke different emotions in different people,” philosophises Tanuj. His role gave him an understanding of how an actor can bring alive a certain character.

“It’s been a learning experience through and through. The challenge is to remain consistent in one’s thinking and put in one’s best,” he adds.

Tanuj has signed a couple more films and he says that he would like to experiment with as many characters as possible.

“There’s a lot of thought that goes in before signing a project and I think I owe my consistency in thought and action to my mother, who has gone the extra mile to make sure that I was brought up as a responsible human being,” he observes.

Tanuj was linked with his co-star Neha during the making of  Love U Soniyo. But none of these rumours disturb him. “I want to let my work do all the talking,” he wraps up.