'He started to misbehave, little touchy with me': Actor Vijay Varma reveals how an uncomfortable incident almost made him quit modelling

Before becoming one of Bollywood's most versatile actors in the industry with projects like Gully Boy, Darlings and Dahaad, Vijay Varma faced several setbacks while trying to find his place in the entertainment industry. The actor has now spoken about one such difficult experience from his early days, revealing that an uncomfortable encounter during a brief stint in modelling almost made him walk away from that career path altogether. Looking back, Vijay said the incident eventually pushed him to commit fully to acting.

The actor shared the experience during a conversation with Prakhar Gupta on his YouTube channel, where he spoke about the struggles he faced before making his mark in films.

Vijay Varma recalls uncomfortable experience during modelling days

Vijay revealed that he had briefly explored modelling while living in Hyderabad, taking up small assignments as he searched for opportunities in the entertainment industry.


During one of those assignments, he said he had an unpleasant experience with a modelling coordinator. Recalling the incident, Vijay shared, "I tried modelling in Hyderabad, just small-time, amateur-level work. But I came across this weird model coordinator. He started to misbehave with me a little bit, like just trying to get a little touchy-feely. I said, ‘Bro, what is this? What are you doing?’ So I got discouraged immediately. You get discouraged very quickly when you’re still inexperienced. Then I thought, I think I should address it head-on. If acting is what I want to do, then I have to do it."

However, after taking some time to process what had happened, he reached a different conclusion. Instead of allowing the experience to push him away from the entertainment industry, he decided to face his fears directly. Vijay said he realised that if acting was truly his dream, he needed to stop exploring other options and dedicate himself completely to it.

That decision marked a major turning point in his journey.

Rejections followed, but Vijay refused to give up. Although Vijay had found clarity about pursuing acting, success did not come immediately.

His first step was to approach Hyderabad's Sutradhar School of Acting. Hoping to receive formal training, he applied to the institute but was turned away.

According to Vijay, the school questioned whether he was ready for the level of commitment and discipline that acting demanded. The rejection disappointed him because he felt he had not even been given a chance to prove himself.

Undeterred, he set his sights on the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), one of the country's most prestigious acting schools. Once again, things did not go according to plan, as his first application was unsuccessful.

Instead of treating the rejection as the end of the road, Vijay decided to try again. His persistence paid off when he secured admission to FTII on his second attempt.

At the institute, he trained alongside future stars Rajkummar Rao and Jaideep Ahlawat. The experience helped shape his craft and laid the foundation for the acting career that followed.

From struggling newcomer to one of Bollywood's finest performers

Over the past decade, Vijay Varma has established himself as one of the most versatile actors in Hindi cinema. Rather than relying on conventional lead roles, he has consistently chosen complex and unconventional characters across films and web series.

His performances in Gully Boy, Darlings and Dahaad earned widespread praise from audiences and critics alike, cementing his reputation as a performer capable of bringing depth to every role.

On the film front, Vijay was last seen in Gustaakh Ishq, directed by Vibhu Puri. The film featured an ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sharib Hashmi. It also marked celebrated fashion designer Manish Malhotra's debut as a film producer.

Most recently, the actor appeared in the web series Matka King. The series follows the journey of a humble cotton trader who gradually transforms into a powerful gambling kingpin after creating the Matka betting game. The show is currently available on Prime Video.