Tanuj Virwani: We shot test matches in 40 degrees in Pune

Tanuj Virwani

He had as many as six releases this year, including The Tattoo Murders, Illegal 2 and Inside Edge 3. For Tanuj Virwani, the biggest high was reprising his role of Vayu in the cricket-based series. Connecting with mid-day from the Badlapur set of his next with Kay Kay Menon, the actor discusses the gruelling prep that went behind the series, and his Bollywood aspirations.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

You've had six releases this year. Are you happy with the outcome?
It would be unfair to say I am happy with the outcome of each [series]. Certain projects turned out to be in sync with my expectations, others not so much. However, as an actor, there's only so much I can control. This line-up was not by design. The Tattoo Murders, Cartel and Inside Edge 3 had been shot earlier, but were released this year.

You're well-versed in cricket. But playing Test cricket matches for Inside Edge 3 must have been a different experience.
In the first season, we shot predominantly at night when the weather was cooler. But to be authentic, we shot the Test matches in about 40 degrees in Pune. In Test matches, you use the ball for a much longer period, and as the ball gets older, it becomes softer, making it harder to hit. I was scared the first few days while filming those sequences because Karan [Anshuman] and the direction team decided to ramp up the cricket scenes. They got players from Ranji and Kanga league; some of those bowlers were going at it [like crazy].

Virwani with Akshay Oberoi

How many hours of cricket did you play for the series?
In the first season, Vayu faces about 22 balls; in season two, I had about 45 balls, and for the third, I faced 10-odd balls that were shown on camera. For the latest season, our DoP [director of photography] was particular that certain portions couldn't be shot once we lost the sun. So, we would start in the morning, break from 12 pm to 2.30 pm. During that period, we would shoot scenes in the stands or the dressing room. Post that, we'd go back on the field. But post-lunch, it used to become difficult to pick up [the pace] again. I am 35, I am not exactly a spring chicken. To pick up exactly where we left off was demanding.

This season introduced Akshay Oberoi as your nemesis, but off camera, you two hit it off.
Firstly, you have to give it to Akshay for his hard work. I would not even imagine taking up this character if I couldn't play cricket. The first time I met him was during the cricket training camp. It was love at first sight [laughs]. The poor guy was so cute, he couldn't even hold the bat. I loved his work in Pizza [2014] and Gurgaon [2017], but this was going to be brutal. He barely got one-and-a-half months to prepare. We got along so well in real life that we were able to sell our rivalry on screen. We have decided to do at least one show together every year.

Have you been offered similar roles after Inside Edge?
After the first season released in 2017, I only got bad boy roles. At the time, I knew we would have a second season. I thought if I keep doing this, I will become a one-trick pony. So, I had to be brave enough to say no.

Now that you're on a strong footing in the OTT world, do you feel this popularity will translate into more movies?
I set out to be a film actor. I would be lying if I said I am happy to stay in the OTT space. I want to do both because you can't recreate what happens on the silver screen on a laptop or TV. There is something magical about going to the theatres. I am working on a few films, which will hopefully be theatrical releases.