I'm not keen to act in Bollywood, says southern star Vikram (Interview)

He is a superstar down south and has done over 40 movies. But actor Vikram, who is excited about playing a negative role in Mani Ratnam's Hindi-Tamil bilingual "Ravan" that also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, says he has no intentions of joining the Hindi film industry.

"I'm not keen to act in Hindi movies. Language is a problem. An actor should understand what a director wants him to do. Working in South Indian films gives me great satisfaction. However, I would love to do a movie with filmmakers like Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra or Sanjay Leela Bhansali," Vikram told IANS in an interview.

Vikram can't stop raving about the "Ravan" director. "Mani Ratnam is like a soldier on the war front when he is at the shooting spot. He comes out with scenes that capture reality without exaggeration."

The National Award-winning actor, who has given hits like "Sethu", "Pithamagan" and "Anniyan", will be seen in a negative role in the movie and says he loves to identify with the characters he portrays.

"I love to identify myself with the characters I play in my movies. I try to get the character in my looks, then slowly get accustomed to mannerisms. In a month, I would live and sleep like him," said Vikram, whose mega budget movie "Kanthaswamy" directed by Susi Ganesan has just hit the screens.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q: How thrilled are you to be part of a Mani Ratnam film?

A: Directors like Mani Ratnam and Bala strive for perfection. It's always a pleasure to be associated with such people. For "Ravan", we shot in the dense forests of Kerala, crowded streets of Kolkata and the cold climate of Madhya Pradesh.

Mani Ratnam is like a soldier on the war front when he is at the shooting spot. He comes out with scenes that capture reality without exaggeration. I'm learning more about cinema working with a person like Mani Ratnam. Working with Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai was a different experience. I was impressed with their commitment to excel.

Q: How do you manage to get under the skin of your characters?

A: I love to identify myself with the characters that I play in my movies. I would strive to get the character in my looks, then slowly get accustomed to mannerisms. In a month, I would live and sleep like him. That made me successful in films like "Sethu", "Pithamagan" and "Anniyan".

Q: Any plans to join Bollywood?

A: I'm not keen to act in Hindi movies. Language is a problem. An actor should understand what a director wants him to do. Working in South Indian films gives me great satisfaction. However, I would love to do a movie with filmmakers like Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra or Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Q: What is your dream role?

A: I play an interesting and

unique role in my next film to be directed by Selvaraghavan. I'm eagerly waiting to start shooting for the film. Tamil cinema has grown by leaps and bounds. If we concentrate on doing movies close to reality, we can scale greater heights.

Q: Are you interested in direction?

A: Of course. Every actor would aspire to wield the megaphone one day. Having worked with Mani Ratnam, Shankar and Bala, obviously there is an urge in me to test my directorial skills.

Q: What About the delay in your just released "Kanthaswamy".

A: Some of my movies take time to see the light of the day, but I forget all pains once people throng theatres in large numbers and appreciate it. I always wanted to talk less and work more. I know the value of success because I had to work very hard for more than a decade to achieve it.

(Aravindan D.I. can be contacted at aravindanmail@gmail.com)

( 650 Words)

2009-08-27-10:04:35 (IANS)

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