Tanuj Virwani started his career in 2013 as a film actor in Luv U Soniyo, but the film went unnoticed. He did three more films after that, with One Night Stand, also featuring Sunny Leone, being his most recognised work. However, it wasn’t until he starred in Amazon Prime Video’s Inside Edge as cricketer Vayu Raghavan, that he tasted the success and recognition that any actor craves for. Since then, he has made a name for himself in the OTT space by playing diverse roles on the medium. But he hasn’t done another film yet.
So, does Tanuj plan to return to the big screen, or is he happy making his name on the web platform? “Absolutely I plan to return. Any actor would swear by the fact that doing films is the endgame, the pinnacle of what we strive to do. That has never been clearer than in the last one year when we couldn’t even go to cinemas. The experience of community viewing that brings so many strangers together can’t be matched anywhere. OTT is more of an individual experience and a different ballgame,” he asserts.
Tanuj informs that he has seen the magic of cinema in his own life and can never move away from it. “I have sat so many times in a dark movie hall, witnessing so many amazing performances by talented actors and wondered about the rush they would feel on seeing so many people laugh, cry and react to them, collectively on a whole. You will definitely see me back in the movies, it’s just about finding the right script at the right time,” he promises.
Although he is raring to go back to films, Tanuj doesn’t forget the importance that the OTT medium has played in his career. “When I started there was either TV or films, but no OTT as such. I really lucked out and so did a lot of actors who were at a similar place in their career like me, by the arrival of OTT. I am just trying to utilise that opportunity. There are a lot of people who believe that this OTT bubble will burst sooner or later while some think it is the future of content. I am no fortune teller, so I am just trying to make the most of the opportunities I am getting while I can,” he signs off.
Image source: Instagram/tanujvirwani, IMDb, Wikipedia