Vijay Varma Explains How Public Relationship and Pap Culture Led to His Long Career Pause

Actor Vijay Varma has admitted that the intense media scrutiny surrounding his high-profile relationship with Tamannaah Bhatia forced him to take a deliberate 14-month screen hiatus after the release of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Speaking ahead of his comeback with the romantic thriller Gustaakh Ishq, Varma revealed that the constant spotlight on his personal life overshadowed his professional work, making a period of silence necessary. “The work wasn’t coming out, so the conversation was about everything else,” he said, acknowledging that the public nature of the relationship became the dominant narrative.

Despite consciously avoiding interviews and public appearances since September 2024, Varma found the attention inescapable. “I have not spoken to the press since IC 814, not given a single interview, yet the presence is all over, and it’s beyond my control,” he shared. The actor described the phenomenon as an inevitable downside of modern celebrity culture, stating that unless one chooses complete isolation, “your decisions and your lives are being scrutinised every single day.”

Varma emphasised that the break was not just strategic but emotionally needed. “I did need a gap; I needed more silence,” he confessed, pointing to the toll of constant paparazzi attention and social media speculation. The 39-year-old star, previously known for back-to-back acclaimed performances in projects like Dahaad, Jaane Jaan, and Kaalkoot, said the overexposure risked reducing his identity to tabloid headlines rather than his craft.

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With Gustaakh Ishq marking his return opposite Mrunal Thakur, Varma hopes the focus shifts back to his work. “This is something that this generation is going to suffer from unless you live in a cave,” he concluded, accepting the new reality of fame while expressing quiet relief at finally having a project that allows audiences to see him again as an actor first.

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