Vijay Varma, who recently starred in the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (released on August 29, 2024), has been on a roll with a string of successful projects. Interestingly, Vijay was initially cast in the acclaimed series Sacred Games, which stars Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, but was later removed from the project. He recounted, “I did my costume measurements and then I got dropped.”

In a recent interview with Indian Express, Vijay Varma reflected on his journey through numerous auditions in pursuit of acting opportunities. He described a challenging period where he was often ‘locked’ for roles, only to be dropped at the last moment, including for Anurag Kashyap’s Sacred Games. “Stuff like that has happened, but some part of me kept the faith and belief. Work started coming in after Gully Boy, but I think I was so starved for work, that I took a lot of it after the film,” he said. 

Despite his many roles and appreciated performances, Vijay Varma did not become widely recognized until Gully Boy, which starred Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. He noted that offers did not come his way until after the film’s success. Although casting directors believed in his talent, it took a long time for opportunities to materialize. Varma also mentioned that when Darlings came along, he could hardly envision himself in that role.

He said, “When Darlings happened, I couldn’t imagine myself in that role and then a series of roles happened where I was playing extremely devious, atrocious or devious men. A part of me wanted to break it but I couldn’t possibly do it myself.” For the unversed, Vijay Varma played an abusive husband in Darlings, starring Alia Bhatt, and portrayed a ruthless serial killer in Dahaad, led by Sonakshi Sinha.

He also shared that he received significant support from filmmakers who recognized his potential and wanted to offer him new opportunities. This led to roles in projects like Jaane Jaan, directed by Sujoy Ghosh, where he was presented in a fresh perspective. Similarly, Homi Adajania cast him in Murder Mubarak, and Anubhav Sinha offered him a role in IC 814.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is a web series adapted from the book Flight Into Fear by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhary. This thriller, which marks Anubhav Sinha’s debut in digital direction, boasts a distinguished cast including Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rajiv Thakur. 

The series also features performances by Arvind Swamy, Kumud Mishra, and Patralekha Paul among other talented actors. Written by Adrian Levy and Trishant Srivastava, it premiered globally on August 29 on Netflix, and is produced by Matchbox Shots and Benaras Mediaworks.

American singer Benson James Boone just won big! The Washington native won the Best Alternative for Beautiful Things at the VMAs. His passion for music drew early musical inspiration from attending a Jon Bellion concert, after which he began taking singing seriously. 

The young sensation has come a long way since his debut single, Ghost Town, was released in October 2021, charting in 16 countries. He has since released multiple successful singles. 

Despite not having any prior singing experience, the singer has quite a bit of a name for himself. Read ahead to learn more about this rising superstar.