‘I represent a 3,000-year old martial art’
by ASJAD NAZIR
GARAVI Gujarat caught up with the highly trained martial artist turned movie star Vidyut Jammwal to discuss his transformative effect on Indian cinema, inspirations, top training tip, action, future hopes etc.
What came first? Your passion for acting or martial arts?
Martial arts. I wanted to be the best like any other kid and came into movies just so I could do some action. Then life brought me here. Did you ever expect to become such a successful action hero?
Thank you. No, I hadn’t planned anything. I just wanted to do action. I started my career by playing very imperceptible roles. Like I was the guy next to the bad guy, next to the main bad guy. The only person who could recognize me on screen was either my mother or me. I started from there, kept doing action and am happy to be where I am now.
Was your film Commando a turning point? Yes. After Force I was playing the antagonist most of the time, so it did change everything because it gave me a platform to showcase what I did best and helped me a lot.
Your films generally get good word of mouth from audiences. How much does that mean to you?
I’ve been very lucky because I think the country supports me every time. I’m not from the film industry, so it can be a little difficult. Initially, the only support system is a few people who believe in you and then that increases to a few more. When the nation and audiences start backing you up, then you know you just need them and a movie to release. So yes, it feels good and is a blessing.
How intensive is your training regime?
I don’t see training as training anymore. When I was younger, I was doing the hardest thing – martial arts fighting professionally in the ring. It was different. Now, it’s not only physical training but also the mind. A real martial artist should be aware of all the things that happen around him. So, I’m always in training, even when chatting with friends. Training is also about how I watch myself. I am a Kalaripayattu practitioner, which is the oldest martial art globally, and represent that, so have to be aware all the time. Being aware is all about training.
Do you consciously try to raise the bar in the Hindi cinema action genre?
No, I just raise the bar for myself because if I’ve done something, I want to do better. Like recently, I buried myself in snow and people asked me why did you do it? I did it because I wanted to see how much the body and mind can take. After a while, the body is not important, the mind takes over. So, I like to raise the bar for myself because I want to do something I’ve not done before and see what my body can do.
But don’t your daring deeds worry people around you?
My mum is the most worried person. My mother is always stressed. Every day she knows I’m going on an action shoot, she sits for her prayer in the morning. Until the time they wrap up, she doesn’t want to talk to anybody and is the one who really worries. I have always supported producers and been on set after injury. I broke open my head while shooting for Junglee and got stitches but got back to work. It’s not being cool, but when you know people have heavily invested in you financially, you will not let them down.
Why do you love cinema so much?
I represent a dead martial art, which is 3,000 years old, and I’m happy bringing it forward to the whole world. It’s the way of living. Hence, I love cinema because it enables the whole world to see something that has potential and power. If you have something and want the whole world to experience that, it can be through cinema. It could be anything. So, I feel proud to be a part of it.
What inspires you?
So many things inspire me. If I put it in one word or line, it would not justify what really inspires me. But when I’m around people with a lot of fire and a desire to do something, and give it their all, it inspires me a lot.