American editor Varun Viswanath, who grew up as a Tamil-Malayalee Bengaluru boy, spends a typical morning getting his son into the car before his phone starts ringing. It’s Patrick, his co-editor, who almost never calls. “We did it! We got nominated!” Watching Varun, nominated for an Emmy for the first time, wrestling with stage lights at Bengaluru City Hall feels like a lifetime ago. His propensity for working behind the scenes seems to have already primed him for the career he would eventually pursue.
At 18, a scholarship sent him to Singapore, where he was expected to follow a path well-trodden by Indian expatriates. Where his peers saw only the allure of giant companies like Sony or Nokia, for Varun, the stage and screen were the allure. Extracurricular activities became his lifeline, and he transformed from an aspiring engineer to a storyteller, though he still knew everything about a soldering iron.
The financial crisis of 2008 was a miracle that pushed him towards his true goal. As the sheen of the corporate world faded, the chaos of filmmaking became his refuge. A chance connection with director Anurag Kashyap, who optioned a friend’s book, catalysed the change. A feature film, shot on a low budget in Singapore, was the turning point.
Hiding his artistic aspirations under the guise of MBA applications, Varun landed a spot in the American Film Institute’s (AFI) editing program. Here, among classmates who had already won Emmy Awards and professors who were working part-time game of ThronesHe found his tribe.
Varun with his classmates and teachers from AFI | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Although his thesis film he edited was nominated for a Student Academy Award, his first professional job in the US was a lowly night-shift assistant editor role on a reality show. “It was a pretty crappy job,” he says, laughing.
Apprenticing under experienced editors led to his first big opportunity as an assistant editor. arrested Development.but it was his work on Taika Waititi’s vampire mockumentary What do we do in the shadows? which truly marked his rise. His editing on the quirky, genre-defying comedy earned him an American Cinematic Editors (ACE) Eddie Award nomination and later an ACE recognition as well.
Emmy Award nominees Patrick Tuck and Varun Vishwanath | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
soon afterward, Reservation DogsVarun feels he has found his magnum opus. From its indie pilot to its rapid emergence as a critically acclaimed series, his editing alongside co-editor Patrick Tuck has been instrumental in capturing the raw, authentic voices of the series’ uncultured coterie of key indigenous stars in rural Oklahoma. The show’s success – garnering widespread acclaim and an enthusiastic fan base – culminated in multiple Emmy nominations for its third and final season, which many would confirm as received far too late.
Today, as Varun stands on the verge of his first potential Emmy win, he talks about his experiences in the cutting room Reservation Dogs and reactions to his first Television Academy nomination.
Some excerpts:,
You’ve worked closely with Taika Waititi for several years, and his creative vision is also reflected in ‘Reservation Dogs.’ I’m curious about the shift from a supernatural mockumentary like ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ to a more grounded coming-of-age dramedy in Sterlin Harjo’s vision for ‘Reservation Dogs’…
Varun: The rhythm, beats, everything is different in both the shows. The biggest difference is that Reservation DogsWe are trying to portray real people and stay grounded because it is about real people. ShadowsYou’ve created absurd characters from the start, so it’s easy to jump in. The style of comedy is pretty much the same though – people talking to each other, misunderstandings, awkward silences and quick-witted offbeat characters.
Taika’s other works, such as his indie films, are based on real emotions and real people, not stereotypes, although sometimes he distorts them. This is reflected in his films as well Reservation Dogs and resonates with rural communities. But more so than Taika, it’s really Sterlin’s approach that shines.
I was initially worried about joining Reservation DogsAs a big city kid, I didn’t know much about American rural culture. When people talk about it, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Texas cowboy, “get off my lawn” or “don’t climb over me” culture, but it wasn’t like that. I realized it later, but I was afraid that my instincts wouldn’t be trusted.
Surprisingly, I found a sense of community and family Reservation Dogs I was reminded of my upbringing. It’s about how we treat each other as family, even if we don’t know who someone is connected to. Reservation Dogs It’s about the whole community surrounding teens, not just some hangout in high school.
For me, the theme that resonated most in “Reservation Dogs” was the sense of belonging; did your experiences of living in different countries and having a dual identity influence your approach to editing the show?
Varun: Oh my god, absolutely. I’ve talked about my search for a sense of connection to death. I’m drawn to stories about connection, place, community, and relationship. I want to make the stories as expansive as possible so that both insiders and outsiders can connect.
When I talk to Indian-Americans, like my wife who grew up in Silicon Valley, I see how different their experience of belonging is from mine when I grew up in Bangalore, where I felt a deep sense of belonging. Moving to different countries and constantly trying to figure out where I belong has shaped my storytelling style.
Varun speaking at the FYC AFI panel in 2024 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Living in Singapore was culturally and socially stifling. I didn’t feel a sense of belonging there, which was difficult. But in LA, working in this industry, I found a place where people appreciate diverse backgrounds. I felt welcome and supported and this sense of belonging is something I try to incorporate into my work.
Tamil humour holds a unique place in Indian comedy, especially in cinema; its nuances are often lost in translation. Was that the case while working on ‘Reservation Dogs’? Did you feel some of the nuances of the comedy were lost to English-speaking audiences?
Varun: More than being lost in translation, there is often a disinterest. It’s not that people don’t understand; they just don’t care. This is common with Native American art, whether it’s painting, stage performance, or television. People have a limited, stereotypical view of Native Americans.
Reservation Dogs Taking advantage of this, these stereotypes are mocked and the non-native audience is allowed to laugh along with them. It took time for the audience to get interested, but the characters are charming, and over time, people started appreciating the comedy more.
A scene from ‘Reservation Dogs’ Season 3 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For example, my dad didn’t understand it, but that’s OK. The creative changes aren’t going to be to everyone’s liking. In Hollywood, they’ve figured out that enough people will see it and appreciate it, so it might as well be worth making.
Humor does get lost in translation, but it’s very satisfying to get a belly laugh and an emotional connection from those who understand it. At the end of the day, it’s about making meaningful connections through storytelling.
Comedy series contenders have been accused of cheating in the comedy categories lately, with ‘The Bear’ being right in the middle of that discussion. Can you tell us about your process for finding the right tonal balance between the comic and the dramatic?
Varun: with Reservation DogsOne of the main rules was to aim for tonal balance, but whenever in doubt, we erred on the side of comedy. We often encountered problems with overly long, dialogue-heavy scenes, and we had to make editorial decisions on what was necessary and what could be left open.
If a scene got too intense, we would bring it back with jokes, sometimes finding the perfect comedic moment from different parts of the scene. In the later episodes of season one, themes of loss, death, and suicide were more prominent. Although we portrayed some of these moments more forcefully, we generally combined the dramatic scenes with comedy.
I think there’s a lot of heart in it, and it’s not like you’re trying to force drama, like drowning people in their own misery. It’s not about increasing the drama, but letting it emerge naturally from the writing. Then the actors create a sense of peace, which is where the balance lies.
What was the reaction in India to the news of your nomination?
Varun: I am not fully on board with it yet. People I know who are familiar with the Emmy Awards, such as my friends, are reacting with surprise and excitement. My phone is flooded with congratulatory messages. There are a few journalists who have reached out to me, and I am a very close friend of Hemanth Rao, who is a Kannada director and also works in Mumbai. Hemanth introduced me to a few people, and while there have been a few responses, the buzz is still quiet as it has only been a few days.
Varun with his son Ishaan in the editing room of AFI | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
My mother often says, “Indha English Padam Pathi Onnume Theriyadhu Da!” (I don’t understand English movies/shows). Something similar has been happening to me for the last few days. I am trying to engage in it as thoughtfully as possible.
All seasons of FX’s ‘Reservation Dogs’ are currently streaming on Hotstar.
