Varun Sood, son of an army officer, would have easily followed his father’s footsteps had he not been fascinated by MTV Roadies. The six-feet tall Sood wanted to live the journey that this popular reality show promised. So when he was selected for MTV Roadies X2 in 2015 he decided to give it a shot. “Apart from being on the show, what I was really excited about was the entire process that goes behind the making of a show. I knew this was my calling,” says Sood.
“However, my father wasn’t sure if I was taking the right step. But when he saw me working hard towards balancing my college and shooting schedules, he accepted my decision to pursue a career in the entertainment industry,” he adds.
After this, the 21-year-old also participated in MTV Splitsvilla 9, and is currently hosting Campus Diaries on MTV. The show, he says, allows him to connect with youngsters in different colleges across India.
“I love being a VJ and a host because it allows me to meet different people. Also, I find hosting challenging because one has to be spontaneous and extremely smart to react to a situation,” says Sood who had also hosted three episodes of NBA Slam along with Rannvijay Singh.
Sood, who was born in Kolkata, and brought up in several Indian states, wants to get formal training in acting. “Bollywood is my ultimate goal. I would now like to understand how this art is learnt by people and how it is performed in front of the camera,” he says.
Ask him about his role model in the industry, Sood says, “Rannvijay and Farhan Akhtar”, adding the latter is an all-rounder and knows his craft well.
Often referred as a youth icon, he says he loves all the recognition that comes his way. “I feel responsible for my actions because many people look up to me. Earlier I used to stress out because I didn’t want to set wrong examples. But, gradually, I learnt to be myself,” he says.