Varun Dhawan, who is currently promoting his upcoming film ‘Baby John’, recently spoke about the need for more diverse representation in Bollywood. In a conversation with Ranveer Allahabadia on his podcast, Varun emphasised the importance of having ‘more voices’ from outside Mumbai and other metropolitan cities.
The actor believes that the industry needs more tier-two and tier-three representation. When asked if this is even possible in today’s scenario, he replied, “It used to happen earlier, isn’t it? Now why is it not happening? Because it’s become a bit tough to not only enter the industry but also decide whether one wants to become an actor or an influencer or be on OTT. There are too many options now.”
Varun also spoke about the need for change and reinvention in the industry. He believes that those in powerful positions need to adapt to the changing times. “We will all have to go ahead. For people who are in powerful positions right now, there is an age limit, especially those who have been doing the same thing for years. They are only at the helm. I am not sure if they recognise it, but it is important to change with time. We all will have to do it or we’ll lose relevance, including me.”
However, Varun admitted that reinvention is not an easy task. “It is difficult because you don’t want to change,” he said. He also spoke about how actors are often surrounded by ‘yes-men’ but noted that this is not the case for bigger stars. “The upcoming stars or the ones who are still aspiring have these circles but those who are already on that stature, they don’t have these people around them. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan - they are not ‘delulu’ (delusional). They are aware of what’s happening.”