EXCLUSIVE: Tanuj Virwani on his film career: I made a mistake as I wanted to be a hero, not an actor

Tanuj Virwani might not have made it big on the big screen when he made his film debut with Sunny Leone in One Night Stand in 2016, but the actor went on to make it big on the digital screen. With innumerable successful projects to his name, Tanuj Virwani is a renowned name of the OTT medium. Recently he had the release of Code M Season 2 in which he returned to star opposite Jennifer Winget, and the actor got into an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble where he opened up about the show and his career. Read excerpts from the interview here:

How has the response to Code M Season 2 been?

“Honestly, it was quite overwhelming the first time around as well as we didn’t anticipate that the audiences will warm up to it in such a big way. There were more expectations this time as the audiences wanted to see more of me and Jennifer on the screen. And I have been quite happy with the response I have got for it and the love the show is receiving.”

 

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This isn’t the first time that your show has had a sequel. Whenever you return to a series, how do you make sure to get back to that character after having played so many different parts in between?

“When you do a season 1 for any show, the expectations are very less. But once it comes out and does well, the main trick is how to retain the essence and authenticity of the character if it comes back for a sequel. So, I start watching the episodes of the previous seasons again and listen to instrumental music as I have different playlists for different characters that takes me back to the place mentally for any character. It’s a challenge but also very rewarding.”

 

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Your number of projects in the last 1.5 years have been so high, do you feel you have gotten more accustomed to the digital medium?

“I am just starting out, it’s just been a few years. I just feel I have been fortunate to be at the right place at right time. If we rewind back to 2016, my film with Sunny Leone, One Night Stand had just come out and it literally tanked on day 1 and I was like where am I going to go from here? It was the very same day, 6^th of May 2016 that I got a call from Excel asking me to audition for Inside Edge and I just said yes because no work was coming my way and nothing was happening. I took it out of desperation as I had no other option. Then the character was appreciated and it happened parallel to the OTT boom.”

 

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Do you ever feel scared of being classified as an OTT actor?

“Honestly, no. You will see in the coming months that I am trying to set up an ecosystem in my own career where I would not be perceived as just an OTT actor. I have already completed a couple of feature films which I can’t yet speak about. But I am trying my best to make my foray back into the film circuit because it’s extremely important. I am all about doing good work.”

“I made a mistake when I first became an actor that I wanted to be a hero and not an actor. I wanted to romance the heroine, beat up the bad guys, ride bikes and wear leather jackets and it didn’t work for me. That’s when I sat myself down and said buddy you first need to learn how to act, how to command the audience and then you can play any character. Take a look at some of the most successful actors from our generation like Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh. They can play the quintessential hero and also play characters that do heroic deeds.”

 

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Recently your short film Parchaaiyan also went to Cannes. How was that experience?

“It was a really good experience, my only regret is that I wasn’t able to be present there myself. I was shooting here but from what I understand, the response there was amazing. I am someone who always likes going back to basics and short films are like home territory for me as I started with them when I was in college. I learnt a lot from there including several aspects of filmmaking. I just completed another short film with Gajraj Rao and it was a very fulfilling experience for me.”

 

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Also Read: Is Jennifer Winget dating Tanuj Virwani? Actress spills the beans