In a lighthearted moment that took place at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Vijay Varma called Dolly Singh's compliments ‘terrible’.

Updated on: Aug 18, 2026, 17:15:22 IST

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Actor Vijay Varma has proved his mettle as an actor in the last few years, often in characters with grey shades. From Darlings to Dahaad, the actor has aced several antagonistic roles on screen. At the recently concluded Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026, the actor won the Best Performance award for his role in Matka King, and went on stage to collect his award. However, it was his interaction with actor and content creator Dolly Singh that caught attention of many on social media.

What happened on stage?

In a video that has emerged from the ceremony, host Dolly Singh noted how Vijay often plays morally complex characters, which has given him the tag of ‘biggest red flag’ on screen. She noted how Vijay’s entry into a show or a movie often makes viewers wonder who is in trouble and what his character might kill next. “You are a walking-talking red flag for us but we also know that you are also one of the nicest people to work with, everybody says that… so what's the trick? How do you do it?” she asked.

Vijay replied, "Just buy a piece of red cloth and keep it at home, and make as many flags as you want," he said. Dolly immediately called his response as a “lame joke". Vijay then hit back with another punchline, saying, “Just as I let go of your terrible compliments aside." This left everyone in the audience in splits.

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Many in the comments section felt the comment was meant only for his on-screen characters and it was just a light moment. “It was a fun banter and she clearly mentioned on screen twice,” read a comment. “This was so awkward to watch,” remarked another. “He usually plays negative roles which is why she said this. Not sure how he took it but she sure wasn't ill-intentioned,” said a second user.

Vijay Varma's films

On the work front, Vijay Varma was last seen in Vibhu Puri's directorial Gustaakh Ishq. The film also starred Naseeruddin Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sharib Hashmi, and marked fashion designer Manish Malhotra's debut as a film producer.

Most recently, Vijay was seen in the web series Matka King, which traces the transformation of a humble and enterprising cotton trader into a powerful gambling don as he creates a new gambling game called Matka.

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