‘ Aimbadhilum asai varum ’, wrote Kannadasan in Sivaji Ganesan-starrer Rishi Moolam . And so, you half-expect Vikram, who turned 50 on April 17, to underplay his age. But he springs a surprise by admitting that his adrenaline isn’t really rushing anymore. But he’s feeling good, he says. “I’m also saddled with more responsibility.”
This National Award-winning actor doesn’t have any regrets about the films he has done; not even about his last release, 10 Enradhukulla , in which he looked rather out of sorts.
“When you accept a film, you do so wholeheartedly. You have made the decision and you have to give it your 100 per cent.” About 10 Enradhukulla , Vikram says, “It just did not work out. It’s a genre I’d never done before, and the director Vijay Milton tried to make each frame seem unique. Perhaps the lack of seriousness in the character undid the quality of the film?” Vikram doesn’t believe in calling movies good or bad. “Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the end result does not match the expectations. 10 Enradhukulla is still a movie very close to my heart.”
Vikram concedes that it is important for an actor to keep evolving to stay at the top. That’s why he’s very keen to play a villain. “I want to listen to engrossing, unconventional stories.” He holds Saamy very close to his heart, as Hari treated a cop story in a novel way. In that sense, Vikram is a director’s artiste. “It isn’t just enough to be an actor who finishes shots in one take; when there is scope for improvisation, actors must make a concerted effort, keeping in mind the director’s style. The feeling after doing a great scene can be compared to the satisfaction of eating a wholesome meal.”
The actor feels that there is a dearth of good scripts in Tamil cinema, especially in comparison with Malayalam cinema, which has a lot of quality story writers. “The Malayalam industry is able to make such interesting films because it is backed by good scripts. Only when you experiment with ideas, can they get transformed into action. The audience has little interest when the same dish gets repackaged again and again.”
Vikram, who is now 25 years old in the industry, feels that each failure makes him stronger. “How else can one explain my second film Thanthuvitten Ennai making its way out as fast as it was released?” This was, of course, back during the day when Vikram was dubbing for stars like Ajith and Prabhu Deva.
Our conversation shifts to his upcoming film, Iru Mugan . Vikram says there’s more to the film than him being paired with Nayantara for the first time. I go back to his portrayal of three characters in Anniyan , as Iru Mugan suggests that he plays two roles. “It is a different era, under a new director, and the adrenaline has to flow again. As I said, I have to start from scratch each time and that is what I look forward to when I sign each film.” His passion for cinema is the same as it was 25 summers ago, he says. “If this changes, I will let the media know immediately. For now, it’s all going fine.”