After playing an officer of the Indian Air Force in Operation Valentineactor Varun Tej awaits the theatrical release of his new Telugu film Travelin which he plays a character inspired by the gambler Ratan Khatri, referred to as ‘matka king’. “I was keen to be a part of a film that has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. I liked director Karuna Kumar’s raw and rugged narrative style in Palas 1978, and I was eager to work with him when he narrated a fictional story inspired by the life of Ratan Khatri,” Varun Tej explains with enthusiasm when we meet for this interview at Vyra Entertainments office in Hyderabad.
Varun Tej; in a still from ‘Matka’
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Varun emphasises that Travel, to be released in multiple languages on November 14, is essentially a Telugu film, staying true to its home language and cultural context. As the script evolved (Karuna Kumar wrote 13 drafts), Varun was taken in by portions that emerged as a spin-off of happenings in Khatri’s life. “It is interesting to know how Khatri expanded his network and gambling spread across India and affected the Indian economy. We have included a few events about the Emergency and the demonetisation of high denomination bank notes (1978). However, we were not keen on making a biopic.”
The character Vasu portrayed by Varun, is fictional though created along the lines of Khatri. Travel traces his journey from his 20s to his 50s, transforming from a youngster desperate to make ends meet to becoming a power-hungry gambler. “Khatri came to India during the Partition. The film is set in Visakhapatnam and Vasu arrives as a refugee from Burma. Later, he narrates the story of his early life to his daughter in a fairytale format, referring to his character in the third person. I liked how Karuna Kumar has written these segments,” says Varun, adding that Travel depicts nightclub glitz, crime and the underworld in the port city in the 1960s and 70s, a facet that has not often been explored.
Varun Tej and ‘Mother’
In Varun’s decade-long career since Love you (2014), he has often chosen films from diverse genres and settings — a world war backdrop in Kanchea gangster comedy in Gaddalakonda Ganeshscience fiction adventure in Antariksham 9000 KMPH and a boxer in the sports drama Ghani. He has also been a part of romances such as Tholi Prema and Bring it and the comedies F2 and F3. “I strive to do something different in each film. Along the way, I have also realised the need to cater to a larger audience. Unlike my recent films, I am confident that Matka’s appeal will not be limited to a certain demographic; there are plenty of moments that will give the audiences a theatrical high.”
Marlon Brando-meets-Kamal Haasan AI image
In the promos of Travela few glimpses of Varun Tej’s character in his 50s, with silver-streaked hair swept back, are reminiscent of Kamal Haasan from Nayakan and Marlon Brando from The Godfather. Varun smiles at the mention and says, “The direction team used prompts to generate images with the help of AI (artificial intelligence) for the different looks I sport in the film; the image we got for the middle-aged character was a combination of Brando and Kamal sir. These images were our initial references. We worked on each look to suit a specific age group and decade. In the younger phase, the hair keeps falling on my face and as my character grows older, acquires wealth and is sophisticated, the hair is swept back. At this stage, my character is in tune with fashion trends and sports a tie and pocket square.”
Varun terms Travel as a ‘massy’ film but he is not taking the easy route of a formulaic mainstream entertainer, given the trajectory of his character from 1958 to 1982. “A regular commercial film is also tough to pull off,” he explains. “Such films can work only for star heroes whose persona translates to the characters they play and their huge fan bases celebrate them. Today, the audiences want something unique; we have to design a world that suits the story and the emotions need to be relatable.” He reveals that by the second draft of Travelhe had a fair idea of where it was headed. “I knew what the director intended to convey about economic inequality and other aspects, all in an entertaining format.”
One of the distinct looks sported by Varun Tej in ‘Matka’
Varun discusses how the film attempts to portray good versus evil, emphasizing he was drawn by the delineation of how an individual’s action is determined by hunger. “Someone who has food on his table and parents who care for him might judge another person’s act of stealing for hunger as a crime. We may not approve of the theft but we need to understand where that person comes from.”
Varun asserts that Travel does not celebrate Vasu as a superhero. “We show his glamorous side as he splurges, but we also show the repercussions of his actions. If the film were to glorify him, I would not have been comfortable doing it.” He mentions how the character portrayed by Meenakshi Choudhary tries to show Vasu the mirror. “Her character, too, comes from a tough background but she is content with what they have, while he is not. This is where the character differentiation happens.”
Planned to the hilt
Travel involved extensive pre-production to plan the production design, cinematography and other technical aspects. Varun was glad to do extensive script-reading sessions with the director. “Karuna Kumar had a 300-page book with all the details of pre-production work. Everything was precise, from camera angles to the type of lenses used. Cinematographer Kishor Kumar (Thangalaan fame) used anamorphic lenses for the initial portions and the camera movements will reminisce the trends of the 1960s and 70s. He had planned the camera angles and cuts thoroughly, to ensure no time was wasted on set. It was similar with the other departments as well.”
Travel was filmed in 75 days, of which Varun shot for nearly 65 days. He discloses that the film has more than 100 scenes as opposed to the norm of 70 to 90 scenes. “I had read the script multiple times and analysed Vasu’s behaviour. Yet, I was nervous on day one to see if the director liked what I portrayed. Since my character goes through four stages, I was nervous each time I portrayed the character in a different age,” he laughs.
Varun reckons that his previous film, Operation Valentinemay not have worked due to multiple reasons but he prefers putting the past behind him, exuding confidence in Travel and looks forward to its reception.
Matka is slated to hit theatres on November 14, 2024
Published – November 09, 2024 04:33 pm IST
