Chiyaan Vikram on I success

Says Vikram as he gets talking about his work regimen for the film, divide talk, support from wife and more….

Going for a dramatic transformation for his outing in Shankar’s ‘I’ – from that of a body builder to a model to a crippled hunchback – Superstar Vikram came out in flying colours, though the film failed to get a unanimous thumbs up from the audience. Admittedly, the actor feels the third role which required him to lose weight radically took a toll on him, both physically and mentally. “My work routine for the role included hitting the gym for six hours besides cycling 15 km every day. The lunch comprised half an apple, an egg white, banana stem juice and a boiled vegetable along with a fish every two hours,” recalls Vikram, adding, “When you are on a normal diet you feel starved; imagine what I went through when I was about to play the disfigured man? However, at the end of the day more than the workout, prosthetics and acting, keeping my sense of balance proved to be the deciding factor.”

It was also tough because along with him, his family was also completely cut off from the rest of the world until he finished the film. “It was very difficult to stay indoors. If not shooting, I was at the fitness center most of the time,” he smiles. “We took a decision of keeping my look under wraps though there were instances where the media managed to disclose my look. If I had to go out, I had to take the help of a mask and cap but most of the times I stayed at home.”

“My wife was extremely supportive and patient. But at times I’m sure she must have felt bad because she cooked for me and I wouldn’t eat. I remember her offering me biriyani – which I love – but I had to decline it.”

The passion for acting and cinema, he says, makes him go the extra mile for his characters. “For me acting is not a job that helps me earn money. It’s something I love. Not just ‘I’, if any of my movies demand that extra effort, I will comply. You can expect me to do such things in the future too, otherwise I’m not Vikram,” he states with an authority.

The stylish actor is unperturbed with the divide talk to the film and says he has met the expectations of the audience. “When there is so much hype surrounding a film, it’s natural that everyone will not be pleased. Though critics and the industry had different opinions, the audiences loved it; when they are saying it’s difficult to grab tickets what more can I ask for. We got maximum number of screens in TN, AP, Telangana and Kerala and it’s not like the film was booked for the first three days and the collections dipped after that; it’s still doing steady business. In Kerala alone, we got 225 screens, bigger than what a top Malayalam film gets. The Keralites are celebrating it.”

He continues as an afterthought, “When there is hype, there are expectations. The trailer didn’t come out for a while and when it did, everybody had their own imagination about what to expect. However, when they watch it, it will not necessarily be the story they imagined. And so, some people might have been letdown.”

He adds further, “More than the box office results, we wanted the audience to see the film. It is one of the biggest budget films and every penny is noticeable on the screen. I can’t be happier. The result is the happiest thing that can happen to me.”

By Nagaraj Goud