After stint in movies, this Indian cricketer now makes 42-times his first pay cheque: 'Was signed as junior artist ...'

Varun Chakaravarthy reveals his journey from a junior artist to becoming an Indian cricketer.

Varun Chakaravarthy’s cricketing journey has been anything but ordinary, marked by highs and lows. The mystery spinner first came into the spotlight when he was chosen ahead of seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, his performance in the tournament failed to live up to expectations, and he soon faded from the national setup due to injury setbacks and a dip in form.

Fast forward four years, and Chakaravarthy has scripted an inspiring comeback. After an impressive run in both the IPL and domestic circuit, he earned a spot in the Champions Trophy squad. His contribution was vital as India went on to win the title in Dubai earlier this year.

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Opening up about his unconventional path to professional cricket, Chakaravarthy appeared on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube series, Kutti Stories with Ash. The 33-year-old shared how he explored multiple careers before settling into cricket. From playing the guitar in a church choir to trying his hand at short film direction, Chakaravarthy had diverse interests before cricket became his calling.

The Kolkata Knight Riders spinner also recalled starting his career as an architect right after graduation. He eventually left the profession in pursuit of music, only to return to architecture later by launching his own firm. Unfortunately, he lost all his savings when Cyclone Vardha hit, marking a turning point that would lead him back to the sport.

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"Right after I completed college, I was working in an architectural company for one and a half years as an assistant architect. I started with around 14k a month, and it was 18k around the time I left. After I left that job, for a brief stint, I took up guitar as I wanted to rekindle my love for music. But soon I realised that if you want to pursue some art, the love has to come from within. If your goal is to please others or get attention from others, it is never going to work out. I was never able to practice guitar for more than an hour. I realised it only after 6-8 months, and then I decided to stop. Then I decided to start my own firm in interior design and construction. It went well for a year until Cyclone Vardha happened, and I lost all my investment. So that ended as well. I was around 24-25 then," he said.

Varun later decided to explore the world of cinema by trying his hand as an Assistant Director, inspired by frequent visits to film sets with his friends. He even took up small acting gigs, working as a background artist in a film, earning Rs 600 a day for his role.

"Some of my friends were part of the film industry, and I started seeing a lot of movies and accompanying them to shoots to observe what was happening. I started talking to the guys, and I came to know that they are shooting for a movie called Jeeva in many cricket grounds. I went there with the intention of becoming an Assistant Director, but that didn't work out. I couldn't even make a proper pitch. Then one of the ADs asked me if I played cricket. I said, 'Only tennis-ball cricket.' So then I got to act in this movie, where I was signed as a junior artist with a salary of INR 600 per day. And that was pretty helpful at that time," he said.

During the conversation, Ashwin playfully interrupted Varun to ask about his current daily allowance as a cricketer. Varun responded with a surprising figure, revealing a 42-fold increase from his earlier days: "I get 300 USD (INR 25652.78)," he said, prompting a smile from Ashwin.

Varun also shared how his deep interest in films led him to direct a few short films. Though those projects are no longer available on YouTube, his enthusiasm for cinema remained strong. While spending his weekends playing tennis-ball cricket, he actively pursued filmmaking.

"The shoot went for 20 days and I liked the entire process. Then I started writing a few stories, scripts, but when I pitched to a few guys, I realised that I was getting the emotions right, but I wasn't able to translate them as a screenplay. I directed a few short films."

The right-arm spinner, who finished the Champions Trophy with nine wickets to his name, is expected to be back in action later this summer. India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August could mark his next appearance on the international stage.