Varun Badola: ‘It’s best to approach your work like just work’

During his two decade long career as a television actor, Varun Badola has made a reputation for himself as an actor who excels at playing intense characters. He is currently in news for his latest show ‘Mere Dad Ki Dulhan’ for Sony TV, wherein he plays a single father who shares a strong bond with his daughter, before things change when he meets a 40-year-old single searching for rented accommodation. The show is produced by DJ’s Creative Unit. It also stars Shweta Tiwari and Anjali Tatrari in pivotal roles.

In this interview with Murtaza Ali Khan, Badola talks about his association with ‘Mere Dad Ki Dulhan’, his chemistry with Shweta Tiwari on the show, the rise of web as an alternative medium of entertainment, and his creative shift as dialog writer for the ALTBalaji series ‘Aparharan’.

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you get associated with Mere Dad Ki Dulhan?

As comical as it may sound, I was going to another office in the same building but on a different floor when I bumped into the show’s producer, Deeya Singh. On seeing me, she suddenly asked me if I was free. When I nodded, she immediately told me that she has a show for me. That’s exactly how it started. Then she called me up after a few days and told me about the concept that she had in mind. I really liked it and so there was no reason for me to say no.

Tell us about your chemistry with Shweta Tiwari

This is a very tricky question. Whenever people talk about chemistry, I really find it difficult to grapple with it. And I probably don’t understand this because as an actor you just go to the sets, do your bit and then you go back home. Now, if you have great camaraderie then obviously the results are better and that’s just about it. Ultimately, it is that one scene that the two of you are trying to approach in your own different ways and trying to get the best results out of it. Now, I like to improvise a lot and the good thing with Shweta is that she is always open to trying out new things.

You have always preferred to play characters that suit you age. Also, you don’t dye your hair and beard in real life unlike your contemporaries. Why?

Frankly, I am an actor from 9 am to 9 pm. If I am not working, I don’t like bothering myself. There is so much to do in life. I can’t be playing that celebrity card 24/7. It’s not even worth it. I go to Corbett twice a year. I still roam around in the jungles so much where no one really cares who you are. I don’t see the need to carry so much of burden; it’s best to approach your work like just work. And then simply move on. I can’t go to a saloon every 15 days to get my hair dyed. It becomes a problem. Why would anybody want to do that? At least, personally speaking, I would not want to do that. Now, as far as my characters are concerned, I like to decide what’s best for them, whether it’s my look in Astitva or Mere Dad Ki Dulhan.

Tell us about your creative shift as dialog a writer for the ALTBalaji series Aparharan

About 10 years ago I did a show called Aek Chabhi Hai Padoss Mein. It’s one of the best shows that I have done. On my very first day of the shoot the director asked me to change a scene after an assistant suggested it to him. That’s how it started and perhaps Siddharth Sen Gupta somewhere had it in his mind all along then he should use my writing skills in a major way. When he started out with Aparharan he was perhaps not happy with the dialog writer and so he asked me to rewrite the first episode. It got approved. Then I wrote another and that too got approved. Then he asked me to write all the episodes. But ultimately it took us about eight months to finish the script. I must say that it was a really good experience for me.

How do you see the web as an alternative medium of entertainment?

It’s certainly very interesting. But I think that the soda bottle has just been opened. It will take some time to settle down. I think there still is too much of indulgence. I feel a lot of the platforms are still bothered more about catching the eyeballs. Hopefully in times to come once it all settles down we will get to see more content driven things. Right now, the priority is to hardsell our platforms more than the content. I think the emphasis should be on telling a good story. If you want to make it sustainable in the longer run, then it has to be content-driven.

You originally hail from Delhi. How often do you come to Delhi these days? What are your favorite hangout places in Delhi?

I usually don’t step out of my house. So there are times when I come to Delhi but I don’t go out at all.

At best I go to this one very small club in Mayur Vihar. My father was the founder member of that club. Otherwise I am mostly reading books or visiting some of my friends in Delhi. Frankly, I don’t even remember the last time I visited a restaurant in Delhi.