Who is Thyagu?

Arun Vijay’s experimentation with roles began with Yennai Arindhal as Victor, the antagonist opposite Ajith. With his 25th film, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, he experiments again with a character called Thyagu. Vijay talks about his dream moment and his journey with Mani Ratnam.

Tell us about the moment when you received a call from Mani Ratnam?

I was spending time with family when I got a call from Bejoy Nambiar [director of Shaitaan, David, Wazir ].I was supposed to work on his last film Solo but couldn’t take it up. I presumed this must be for his next film. When he mentioned that he was calling from Mani Ratnam’s office, I was surprised. He said that there was a role in his new film — one of the leads — and Mani sir was considering me. I was [very] excited. I have been waiting for this moment all along. I met Mani sir the next day and he narrated the script.

Thyagu is a very classy guy. He is a businessman who lives [in Dubai]. He is charming and a sweet talker who gets things done. After a point, the transformation and transition in his character was important. I worked on his body language and learnt to speak Arabic, as Thyagu deals with top notch people in Dubai. I knew that I had to play Thyagu in a different way to impress Mani sir.

How was it working with Mani Ratnam?

He is clear about what he wants. During the reading session, he explains and preps us before the shoot. He describes the situation and how the character will react in that situation. He is a director who gives space to the actors and is really good at getting the best of us.