'Call Me Bae' Actor Varun Sood Reveals Why Reality Show Success Is NOT a Ticket to Good Acting Roles (LatestLY Exclusive)

Varun Sood who is known to every Roadies fan, and has been on Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 is working towards establishing his foothold as a credible actor. His two shows are now in the news, namely Naam Namak Nishan on Amazon Mini TV and Call Me Bae on Amazon Prime. Varun Sood had a candid conversation with us. Talking about Naam Namak Nishan, he said it was a special show for him given his Army background. The show is based on the defence training school, the fictional Officers Training Academy in Chennai. As per reviews, Varun Sood is supposed to be one of the 'best things' about the show. He has got every nuance to perfection.

Varun Sood on Good Reviews for 'Naam Namak Nishan'

He told us, "It was a very emotional show for me. Like my father, I too had dreams of joining the Army. In fact, I had submitted my papers for the same. Even though it was a show, I tried to bring forth the emotion of brotherhood and unity that is the essence of an Army training institute. My dad (Brigadier Vineet Sood) discussed his academy days with me. There were different characters in the institute. From the punishments to how they did negotiate when they wanted to go out and have fun, he shared his experiences. I wanted to give my best as I did not want to disappoint my dad."

Varun Sood Plays a Cadet in 'Naam Namak Nishan'

He says that OTT shows have broken the hierarchy of TV, web and film actors. Good web shows that made producers realize that an actor is an actor, feels Varun Sood. But his journey as an actor was not an easy one despite his huge popularity as a reality show star. "No one took me as an actor. I never did an acting project on TV, I had a reality show background. I have given multiple auditions and been rejected a million times. So, I would say that producers look for proper actors for great content," opines Varun Sood when we refer to success stories like Barun Sobti, Ram Kapoor and Rajeev Khandelwal.

'Call Me Bae' Actor on Reality Shows vs Acting Projects

Talking about Jug Jugg Jeeyo, he said, "I was my first break, I wanted to be a part of it as it was a Dharma film. But the movie got me acquainted with a lot of directors. It was through Dharmatic that I bagged Call Me Bae. I got very fair opportunities with Dharmatic. I was accepted by them and now I have to prove myself," he states.

Varun Sood reiterates that reality show success does not guarantee a good acting career. He says such shows only help you familiarize yourself with the world of showbiz. "If youngsters want to be actors, they should train hard and focus on that. I believe it depends on how you wish to see yourself in the acting space. I learnt my lessons rather late in life. You do not crack auditions based on your successful reality shows or social media followers," he says on a serious note. He says one needs to take auditions seriously. "Reality shows are good for popularity, money and whatever. You cannot ride two sailboats at a time. For an acting career, you need time to build your craft and cent per cent dedication to that task. On reality shows, your personality does the work but acing a character on screen is a different ball game," he says.

Varun Sood on Reality Shows vs Acting Projects

Varun Sood says it is his wish to be directed by Karan Johar. He says he feels lucky to get diverse characters so early in his career. "My characters in Karmma Calling and Call Me Bae are hugely different. Going ahead, I would love to do an action film or a full-fledged comedy role, " he says.

Varun Sood on Working With Neetu Kapoor, Raveena Tandon and Ananya Panday

Varun Sood says he had just one scene with Prajakta Koli in Jug Jugg Jeeyo but was amazed seeing Neetu Kapoor's energy on set. "That set left me amazed. Neetu Kapoor's passion is fantastic even at this age. How they continue to work harder for that perfect take is inspiring to say the least," he said. Varun said that Raveena Tandon is very helpful and driven. "You can see her hunger is still alive as an actress. And she is so humble. The manner in which she reaches out to newcomers is heart-warming. She helped me a lot," he gushes.

Varun Sood Is Full of Praise for Raveena Tandon

He also lauded Ananya Panday for being a team leader on Call Me Bae. "She is a leader and a team person. She has a beautiful vibe. We had a great time and she was the glue who kept us together," he says.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2024 04:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).