Varun Grover on Art, Defiance & Why Comedy is His Survival Tool | The Real Story Podcast

"Either I do comedy, or I bang my head against the wall." – Varun Grover

Varun Grover joins me for one of the most thought-provoking & brutally honest conversations I’ve ever had. We talk about his childhood struggles, self doubt, the power of satire, turning frustration into art, questioning authority, and why success means nothing if you don’t feel alive.

In this episode, we explore:
Comedy as a tool for survival – Is it observation or frustration?
Why childhood rejection shaped his journey as a multi-hyphenate artist
The loneliness of growing up as an outsider & finding belonging in books
His theory on why Indian actors struggle with relatability vs. Hollywood stars
The debate on nihilism in storytelling – When does anger become glorification?
Why Indian society struggles with originality & how he developed critical thinking
What he looks for in actors as a director & why emotional awareness matters
His dream dinner table of legendary artists & the influence of Arundhati Roy, Ghalib & Charlie Kaufman
What he would tell his 21-year-old self & why he still thinks like an outsider.

This conversation isn’t just about art—it’s about fear, resilience, belonging, and the eternal search for truth.

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