National Award-winning actor Vikram has undoubtedly earned a legion of fans thanks to his deep love for cinema and unwavering passion for the craft. Often changing into something completely unrecognisable to play different kinds of roles, Vikram has always been pushing the boundaries of his physical and mental health. Be it his biggest breakthrough in Bala’s Sethu to Shankar’s films like I and Anniyan, and Mani Ratnam’s ambitious Raavanan and Ponniyin Selvan films, Vikram has created a unique space for himself in the annals of Indian cinema. Over his 35-year-old career, Vikram has become an inspiration for many a star following in his footsteps across various industries like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. On the occasion of his birthday, let’s look at a decade-old interview where he spoke about the kind of path he wishes to take in his career.
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When asked in a Rediff interview about putting his body through taxing regimes to become the characters envisioned by filmmakers, Vikram pointed out that such transformations can happen only when actors have age by their side. “I’m young now, and can afford to play around with my body and looks. Later, I will be unable to take up the challenge,” said Vikram, who used the example of superstar Amitabh Bachchan to add credence to this thought. “He went away and came back to play older roles. And look at the roles he does. I’d love to handle my career the way Mr Bachchan does.”
Listing other actors who have taught him a thing or two by just moving ahead in their careers, Vikram said, “I like Salman Khan for the way he carries himself. His self-confidence is fantastic.” Incidentally, Salman’s Tere Naam is the remake of Vikram’s Sethu. “I love what he did in Tere Naam. He’s a close friend. The only trophy he had in his living room was that of Tere Naam.”
Talking about inspirations closer home, Vikram, who has always expressed his admiration for actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, said, “I like his daring choice of roles. In fact, back in school and college, I used to model myself on him.” Expressing his awe and admiration for Kamal, Vikram even pointed out that his acting style was heavily influenced by the legendary actor. “I was so much in awe of him. I used to do my scenes like him until I did Sethu. Then I made a conscious decision to move away from his influence.”
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Vikram, who was recently seen in SU Arun Kumar’s Veera Dheera Sooran, is currently working on Mandela director Madonne Ashwin’s next.