Vijay Varma has never been one to shy away from bold fashion choices. From his very first editorial shoot—where he confidently rocked a skirt and pieces from the women’s section—to his latest standout appearance in a velvet tuxedo adorned with glass beads by designer Amit Aggarwal, the IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack actor has consistently demonstrated a sharp eye for style.
And yet, it comes as a surprise to learn that the versatile actor once considered a career in fashion design. “I had filled out the NIFT Hyderabad application, but when my father found out, he was horrified and asked if I wanted to become a tailor—then tore the form up,” he recalls with a laugh.
As a teenager, Varma did a lot of window shopping, obsessively looking at store displays. “I remember being inspired by Roberto Cavalli back then, though I’ve definitely outgrown that phase,” he shares.
His early attention to detail clearly influenced his portrayal of IC 814’s Captain Sharan Dev, with his crisp white shirt, neatly knotted tie and sharply tailored trousers. Uniforms have always held a special place in his memory. “I was fascinated by how some students wore their uniforms—the way they rolled their sleeves, a specific cut, a fold at the bottom of their pants, or even the way they wore their socks or girls tied their hair. How people presented themselves fascinated me as a little boy,” recounts the articulate actor, whose eloquence is as impressive as his on-screen performances.
The dream shifted to film out of sheer necessity. “It had everything to do with the money I started earning and little to do with films,” Varma explains. In the early days of his acting career, he endured years of financial hardship. Yet, despite limited resources, he always managed to present himself impeccably, maintaining a sharp sense of style. “I always put my best foot forward. After Gully Boy, I started revisiting stores and paying closer attention to the style community and people I aspired to emulate in 2018. I had my fair share of watching FTV, but back then, it all seemed out of reach,” he reveals.
In 2023, Varma set the fashion world buzzing when he graced the Cannes red carpet in a striking white asymmetrical wrap-around kurta by Anamika Khanna, layered with a full-sleeve coat. The irony? Just a decade earlier, no designer was willing to dress him.
The star, who has impressed audiences with stylish and standout performances, whether as Inspector Karan Anand in Jaane Jaan or the suave Vijay Chauhan in Lust Stories 2, brings that same range to his attire. Much like his on-screen characters, he prefers a versatile wardrobe. If you check out his Instagram profile, you’ll see a man who loves his staples—be it sneakers, jeans, trousers, shorts, T-shirts, hats, sunglasses, rings or bracelets. He self-confessedly describes himself as a fussy dresser. “I’m finicky without even realising it. I can immediately tell when a fabric won’t feel or fall right on my skin, and I avoid anything synthetic,” he says. “The cut, though, is the most underrated part of any design. You can use the same fabric, but it’s the cut that makes all the difference.”
The actor, who counts David Beckham, Johnny Depp and Robert De Niro as his icons of style and other pursuits, has come a long way since his window-shopping days, with London as his preferred destination for retail splurges. “Dover Street Market in London has everything I’m fascinated by—a collection of all modern artists and designers. It’s slightly off-centre, and I love their presentation,” says Varma, whose favourite brands these days include Alexander McQueen, Arjun Saluja and Republic by Omar Farooq.
And speaking of today, watches are his latest fixation—and an expensive one at that. “I grew out of my sneakers and have entered the watch phase of my life,” he shares. In 2023, at Cannes, he made his first impulse purchase. “The idea popped into my head that I would get my first Rolex. Ever since, whenever I have a successful outing at the movies, I reward myself with a Rolex. I have six,” he adds with sheepish delight.
His love of timepieces dates back to what he calls his ‘broke days’. “Back then, I used to collect a lot of HMT watches. I have 20 mechanical ones. They’re rare and no longer in production, so I had to find the right dealers to buy them,” says the star, who even introduced an HMT Vijay watch as part of his look in IC 814.
Varma also has a keen eye for edgy brands and tells Esquire India that he took a shine to the UK-based microbrand Studio Underd0g, founded during the pandemic and known for its counterculture ethos and playful designs. “They had this watermelon watch—bright and summery. It nearly won the New Watch of the Year at a Geneva Watch Days event. I reached out to them and ended up buying both their series, eight watches in total, over six months,” he recollects.
Aside from style, it's work that gets Varma ticking, and the excitement in his voice is palpable when he talks about his current project, Matka King, for Amazon Prime. Set in 1960s Mumbai, it’s a fictional tale that follows an enterprising cotton trader who seeks legitimacy and respect, prompting him to start a new gambling game dubbed ‘matka’. “It’s a character from Mumbai, so I get to enjoy the bell bottoms and the fashion of the ’60s and ’70s,” he notes.
Given his passion for fashion, would he consider a film on the subject? “I have an instinct for it, although I’m not knowledgeable about fashion or trends. But yes, if I could engage with a story that includes a certain element of fashion, it could be interesting,” he says, adding with a chuckle, “If the opportunity arises, I will go crazy with it.”