Madhavan and Vijay lock horns
‘Vikram Vedha’ codirector Pushkar speaks about the highly anticipated gangster tale, out in the UAE today
This is the one film that fans of Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi have been waiting for.
Tamil film Vikram Vedha, directed by duo Pushkar and Gayatri, releases in the UAE today.
In this gangster tale, Madhavan and Sethupathi play diametrically opposite roles. Madhavan is a trigger-happy encounter specialist and Sethupathi is a knife-carrying gangster.
The trailer has sparked off interest with its final question, “If the choice is between good and bad, it’s easy to make a pick. But in this story, both are bad guys?”
Pushkar and Gayatri, whose earlier two films Oram Po and Va
Quarter Cutting were comedies, explore a completely different genre with Vikram Vedha. In an exclusive interview with
tabloid!, Pushkar talks about the making of Vikram Vedha and working with the two actors.
What is the story about?
It’s a gangster tale set in North Chennai, a story about moral ambiguities. Madhavan is Vikram, an encounter specialist. Vijay is Vedhalam, a gangster. The story is structured on the lines of the Vikram Betal [tales from Hindu mythology] stories we grew up listening to.”
Working with two talented actors, tell us how they prepared for their roles.
Both are as alike as chalk and cheese, with two different styles of acting. Post Iruddhi Suttru, Madhavan had gained muscles. For the role of Vikram, he worked on transforming himself into a leaner look. Maddy gets completely invested in his character. He did his own homework on how an encounter specialist works, understanding his psyche and the little nuances. He always sought a justification for every act and behaviour of Vikram. Sometimes, he would tell me, ‘No, it does not sound like Vikram.’ Psychologically he became that character.
I believe that cinema is a cocreation and involves everyone on the sets. Everyone’s inputs go a long way in the making of the film. Madhavan’s child-like innocence and his enthusiasm to experience new things are wonderful.
And Vijay Sethupathi?
In the film, Vedhalam goes through three time periods of his life, from his mid-twenties to mid-forties. But this is not a [biopic] of Vedhalam. During our research for the film, we interacted with former gangsters. Vijay was eager to understand the emotional characterisation of Vedha. ‘Why does he do this? ‘What makes him behave like that?’ Vijay was eager to know the back story. He is an instinctive actor who approaches his role casually. But once his rhythm clicks, there is no stopping him and the dialogues flow. What I liked was the wonderful camaraderie the two actors shared. And, they both gave each other space.
What about the other characters in the film?
Shraddha Srinath is Priya, a lawyer and married to Vikram. She is intrinsic to the plot. Malayalam actor Harish Pesharadi plays a gangster who is interlinked with Vedha’s life. He is a no-fuss actor and there are many shades to his role.
Kathir and Varalakshmi Sarath Kumar essay significant characters. We can’t reveal them now.