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

Varun Chakravarthy: From Film Extra to Indian Cricketer

Varun Chakravarthy, now a key player in Indian cricket and the IPL, shared his early life experiences with Ravichandran Ashwin on the podcast Kutti Stories with Ash. Before cricket, Varun explored careers in architecture, music, and films before committing to the sport.

Early Career and Film Industry Journey

At the age of 25, Varun briefly worked in the Tamil film industry. He became involved with movie crews through friends and often visited film shoots out of curiosity and interest in cinema.

“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,” he said.

Varun explained that movies like Varanam Aayiram and Subramaniapuram inspired him to express himself creatively. However, his attempt to become an assistant director did not succeed. Instead, a crew member offered him a minor acting role due to his cricketing ability.

“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.”

Present-Day Success

Now, as an established Indian cricketer, Varun Chakravarthy earns a daily allowance of around $300 when playing for the national team—a striking contrast to his film set days.

Author’s Summary

Varun Chakravarthy’s journey from earning Rs 600 per day as a film extra to becoming an Indian cricketer highlights his persistence, adaptability, and passion for pursuing his true calling.

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

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