Varun Tej, who has chosen an unusual role in pan-India film Matka directed by Karuna Kumar, talks about the creative and business aspects of cinema.
Excerpts:
On experimenting with different looks as Vasu in ‘Matka’...
The first look was of someone from a low economic background, a daily wager labourer in a small port. His anger and hunger force him to make a mark in society. This drives him to become the Matka King. We have tried to show his growth physically, with his varied hair styling and clothing etc. Playing the young lad, I went with the hairstyle that looked as if I’d just walked out of the shower. Then it was playing a man of style, wearing expensive clothes. Fashion also keeps changing every ten years. This film moves through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
Will the poor showing of ‘Operation Valentine’ affect the box office performance of ‘Matka’?
Whether our previous films work or not, we put in the same effort for the next Friday. When it comes to script selections, there may be learning, when a film doesn’t do well. Obviously, I introspected on what went wrong with that film. I felt I shouldn’t have done a segmented film or maybe I should have done something that would have appealed to a wider audience. That’s the reason I chose Matka. Not everyone wants to watch Army films. Some may prefer a romantic film with a masala dance number. So I decided to do something commercial, which is viable. I am glad I signed this film.
Stakes of theatrical releases are high and male leads command huge remuneration. Producers feel this adds to the business loss. What’s your stand on this?
A lot of people don’t understand that there is something called non-theatrical market and these numbers are not revealed to the general public. For example, in my previous film we were free rolling for theatricals. Maybe a couple of distributors lost a little bit of money. A lot of actors do films for the same producer. This in a way is giving back a certain amount of money. I have also done it a couple of times. It is common practice down South. It’s fine to stand by the producer who believes in you.
Most of the heroes in today’s times believe in taking territory sharing remuneration over pay package. What about you?
Today, the theatrical market has become uncertain. I think that is a better way for an actor, as this is supportive of the budget of the film. In this film I have taken a small area in Andhra. So, it’s less load on the producer. Tomorrow, if the movie does well, all of us will benefit. It’s profitable for both.
According to reports, your next film promises to be a unique blend of Telugu and Korean elements. Can you elaborate?
My next is a horror comedy. The idea is not to scare people. It has a unique Telugu and Korean blend. It is a rowdy action flick. Set in Rayalaseema, it also has a Bihari touch. We have yet not locked the title. We have finished a few days of shooting. We will announce it soon. Next year I will do a romance.
What clothes does your wife Lavanya like to see you in?
She likes me in any attire. I wear a lot of dark colours but she prefers me to wear something lighter and brighter. I think she likes to see me wearing orange more.
Is she insecure, seeing how handsome you are? When will fans see you together on screen?
She is not insecure, as she is an actress. She has been working all her life, doing whatever came her way. Now, she has the luxury to wait, handpick what she really likes. I don’t think we will work together on screen – we did that twice, and the films didn’t work. I am lucky I got her. She gels well with my family. I got housewife material, though the word doesn’t sound good [laughs]. We are planning to venture into business together.
