'I'm always persistent and patient'

Comic ways

He’s the happy-go-lucky guy who makes you laugh every time he appears on the screen. That’s Varun Sharma for you.

He surprised Bollywood with his role in Farhan Akhtar’s production ‘Fukrey’. He has also 
done roles in films like ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon’ and ‘Dilwale’.

With an important role to play in ‘Fukrey 2’,  Varun says he has much more to look forward to in the industry.

The actor shares some of his thoughts with Anila Kurian.

What are you working on right now?

I just wrapped up the shoot for ‘Fukrey 2’. I’m working on another film with Jimmy Shergill; the name is yet to be finalised. It’s a cyber crime film and different from the previous roles I’ve played.

You’re known as the funny guy on screen. Do you fear that you’ll be typecast?

It’s difficult to get cast at all. So I take it as an honour to be part of a project. But I never thought it will become a problem because I never realised that I could actually make people laugh. I don’t want to reject a script just because my character requires me to be the ‘funny guy’.

How do you choose your script then?

I choose a script after a lot of filtering. The storyline, how meaty the character is and how the whole movie rolls out are important. But mostly, it is the director which matters.

Could you tell us about a turning point in your life...

I’m always persistent and patient. That’s how I got the role in ‘Fukrey’ and I was able to work the people I admire like Shah Rukh Khan and Abbas–Mustan.

You have a ‘one film at a time’ policy. Do you think that works in your favour?

As an actor, your skill will get rusted. So it’s very important to take a break, plan a little and then get back to work. I like to go back to theatre workshops and sharpen my skills — a change in the atmosphere helps. Long story short, I do what my gut tells me to do.

One thing you learnt from theatre that you still follow?

It has taught me to be disciplined.

And are your co-actors also disciplined?

(Laughs) There are some, Varun Dhawan to be precise. He has very good time management skills. The effort he puts into the character and everything else he does is very disciplined.

Any other actors you want to work with?

Sanjay Dutt.

So what do you want to achieve in the next five years?

I want to make more people laugh and also make them sad in between. It’s important to keep that balance (laughs).

You were working on a short film on the lines of ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday’. What’s happening to that?
Yikes! I’ve been busy with work so I haven’t had the time to complete it. The editing work is going on and I hope to release it very soon.