Take a pause with Varun Duggirala

In this week’s episode of Take aPause, Ashdin Doctor and Varun Duggirala dive deep into the concept of ‘Habitology’, the key to an “awesome life”, spirituality, the importance of failing, how toxic positivity does more harm than good and a lot more. From actionable tips on gamifying your habits to inculcate them better to the story behind his glorious beard, Ashdin Doctor tells us all! Ashdin is a...

Varun Duggirala and Sharib Hashmi reminisce on their MTV days and chat about Sharib’s inspiring journey to becoming an actor, how he turned rejection into motivation, his undefeatable optimism, how his break in Family Man changed his life and a whole lot more! Sharib Hashmi is an Indian actor, writer, producer and director who works in Hindi cinema. He is best known for portraying J.K. Talpade in...

Ask Me Anything - but with a twist! Tune in to Varun Duggirala answering questions shared about life, work and relationships but he only has a minute to answer. He discusses everything from dealing with a toxic boss, the power of asking in building strong healthy relationships, the key to staying focused, how to know you’ve found the one, dealing with failure and so much more! Timestamps (00:00 -...

Anuv Jain, the Indian Indie musical genius behind songs like “Baarishein”, “Alag Aasaman” and “Gul”, and Varun Duggirala dove deep into the art of  telling stories through his music, importance of discipline as an artist, his songwriting process and his love for anime in this latest episode of Take aPause! Anuv Jain is an independent singer- songwriter from Ludhiana who rose to fame with song...

Ritam Bhatnagar, Founder of India Film Project, and I chat about how he founded the IFP, his massive Lego collection and his dream to build a Lego house, finding his purpose on chance and how play is his favourite way of learning! Ritam is founder and festival director of India Film Project - Asia's Largest Content Fest. Featured by Forbes, Ritam has been a TEDx speaker and a guest speaker at vari...

In this episode of Take aPause, media entrepreneur Ashwin Suresh chats with Varun Duggirala on taking calculated risks and making strategic moves that helped him make big life decisions that changed the trajectory of his personal and professional life. If you’ve been in a state of analysis paralysis and feel too scared to drift from the safe path, this one’s for you! Entrepreneur Ashwin Suresh is...

Valuing and nurturing the relationships that really matter is so important for a fulfilling life. On this episode of Take aPause, Varun Duggirala chats with investor and writer Sahil Bloom on the importance of leaning into gratitude, choosing joy, making the most of our limited time, and appreciating the small things in life. Sahil shares stories of chance encounters that have shaped his life, abo...

We live in our bodies but how much do we really understand about how they work? On this episode of Take aPause, Varun chats with physician entrepreneur Dr. Marcus Ranney on the fundamentals each of us should focus on to not just live long lives but the healthiest possible lives in bodies that allow us to achieve our optimum potential as individuals. Find out how you can successfully biohack popula...

We’ve all grown up on films. Our first love was usually a hero/heroine on the big screen pulling out grand gestures and breaking into a song and dance. How much of an impact have films made on our love life? Actor and writer Yahya Bootwala ponders on this. In this episode of Take aPause, Varun and Yahya dive deep into what it means to be creators in an environment heavily governed by algorithms an...

How powerful is humour as a unifying force in the world? Are we drawn to it because it’s a coping mechanism for us to deal with the hardships of our lives? Who better to chat about this than comedian and actor Vir Das. On this episode of Take aPause, Vir joins Varun to talk about his success as India’s only Emmy-nominated comedian and journey as he learns to cater to both a global and an Indian au...

The true essence of a city is not in the famous monuments it houses, or the delicacies available in the crowded bylanes, nor is it its proximity to the sea, mountains, or beaches. The true essence of a city are the people it houses – their spirit, their often-unheard stories, their unrealised/realised aspirations. In this episode of Take aPause, Varun Duggi talks to Karishma Mehta, the founder of...

As you scroll through your explore page, you are bound to come across a horde of talented content creators. The parameters to go viral have finally distilled down to one thing – creating good content. In an age where fame is accessible through just a click on your hand-held device, how does one stand out among the clutter? According to Agasthya Shah, focusing on the quality of your content instead...

Our brain – it dictates every decision we make, but how much do we really know about how it works? Neurologist Dr. Sid Warrier feels strongly about the need to educate young people about the workings of the brain. According to his research, understanding how our brains work can help us design our lives for greater productivity and more happiness. On this episode of Take aPause, Varun quizzes Sid o...

Ever wondered what it’s really like to deal with celebrities, and that too at their own weddings? Celeb wedding photographer Joseph Radhik has a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on some of the most talked-about events of India’s celeb culture over the last decade. His answer may surprise you! In this episode of Take aPause, Varun and Joseph weigh the importance of human connection in their own...

Get inspired and learn from the success story of young entrepreneur Vedant Lamba. He has built a successful business in the competitive world of sneaker reselling. What started as a hobby turned into a million-dollar empire after much struggle and strategising. Whether you're a young entrepreneur looking to break into the industry or just curious about how someone so young could make it big, don’t...

Are you always looking for actionable insights you can apply to your life and track your personal growth? On this episode of Take aPause, mentalist Suhani Shah shares with Varun Duggirala plenty of insights that you can easily start implementing in your life. Looking to find your passion in life? Hear from Suhani Shah on her approach. Wanting to try mindfulness? Suhani has her own learnings to sha...

The art of conversation is an important skill. As social animals, we cannot do without human connections, and conversations play a vital role in helping build these relationships. While it can be very intimidating to initiate and sustain conversations without feeling awkward, there is a foolproof way to make each conversation count. In this video, Varun shares three simple techniques for improving...

There’s never been a time in human history when we as a species have been as “connected” as we are now. Social media pervades almost every aspect of our lives. And yet, writer Dhruv Sehgal confesses that the need to actively engage with the world is something that he feels less and less everyday. Because there is an abundance of mostly irrelevant information being thrown our way every minute, that...

People often believe that there is only one way to start your entrepreneurial journey. But the more you talk to other entrepreneurs, you will realise just how unique and different each person’s path is. Each path has its own set of challenges, learnings, and speed of growth. Some faced numerous obstacles, while others saw success early. However, what does remain constant is the belief in their vis...

When you’re a creator, confidence is considered a given. As a creator there is a level of vulnerability that comes into play every time you put a piece of content out into the world. While some creators enjoy the external appreciation and validation, others derive their joy from the content-making process itself. As content creation becomes a steady business of its own, the need to build a culture...

Once you reach a certain point in adulthood, work starts taking up the number one spot in your list of priorities. We believe that to do well in your career, one needs to spend every waking moment working and working hard. While it may be a sure fast way to ensure success, it may not always be the most sustainable. Our mind is like any other machine – it requires downtime. It is constantly working...

Trigger Warning: The following content may contain sensitive themes that is not suitable for all audiences. Listener Discretion is Advised.  Relationships in the digital age are in a league of their own. New terms to describe relationships circulate every few months like the latest fashion trend. Situationship, ghosting, zombie-ing (yes, it’s an actual term), and soft launching are some of th...

If happiness is an emotion, and emotions, by definition, a part of our consciousness, then why do we go out of our way to search for it? Why is most of our life spent looking for happiness externally when it is available on the inside?  In this episode of Take APause, Varun talks about happiness and what it means for everyone. The definition of happiness may remain the same but the way it man...

Being onstage and performing can be an overwhelming experience for many. However, for some, it fills them with energy, and they thrive in the spotlight. Abish Mathew is the latter.  In this episode of Take APause, Varun and Abish have an honest conversation about their content creation processes and who they are truly creating content for. They discuss their struggles with confidence, the adv...

Whether due to language barriers or lack of access, the true potential of India's youth beyond Tier 1 cities remains largely untapped. Enabling them with opportunities and skills required to take on the cutthroat challenges of the job world or realise their entrepreneurial dreams, is what Josh Talks does best. In conversation with Supriya Paul, Varun asks her about her vision for the future, the j...