Varun Chakravarthy once earned Rs 600 a day as a junior artiste; now receives $300 daily allowance as Indian cricketer

Varun Chakravarthy’s Journey Before Cricket

Varun Chakravarthy, now a well-known name in Indian cricket and the IPL, shared insights about his life before fully committing to cricket. The spinner's path was unconventional, involving stints in architecture, music, films, and cricket in his 20s.

Brief Film Industry Experience

During a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on the podcast Kutti Stories with Ash, Varun revealed his early interest in films. At 25, inspired by movies like Varanam Aayiram and Subramaniapuram, he wanted to pursue a role as an assistant director (AD).

“I started hanging out with the movie guys in my group. We used to watch the shooting of films. One day, I got to know that this cricket movie Jeeva was being shot in many cricket stadiums. So I went to the location, thinking I would try to be an assistant director.”

Although he couldn't secure the AD role, he was offered a minor acting part due to his cricket skills. It came with a daily wage of Rs 600, which was quite helpful at that time.

“One day on set, an AD came up to me and offered me a part as a junior artiste, asking if I knew how to play cricket. The salary was Rs 600 per day. That was pretty helpful at that time.”

Transition to Cricket

Varun eventually shifted his focus fully to cricket, where he now receives a daily allowance of $300 as an Indian cricketer, marking a significant change from his earlier earnings.

Summary

Varun Chakravarthy’s diverse early pursuits in films and other fields shaped his path before he emerged as a prominent Indian cricketer with a substantially improved livelihood.

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The Indian Express The Indian Express — 2025-11-06

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