Vijay In

Question

How do you choose your roles? The director/banner matters to you?


Vijay In
The director, banner is secondary to me. My first priority is the story. Only if I like it, do I go into the other aspects, like the director, heroine, banner, etc. I have worked in new banners and under new directors when their stories had interested me.


Question :

How do you rate yourself as an actor?


Vijay In
People do appreciate my fights, my performance, though I myself dont feel I have achieved much. Ill give myself ten marks out of hundred if I rate myself.

Question
Are you still interested in doing two-hero subjects? You were reportedly put off by your early experiences.



Vijay In
I have no hassles doing a film with another hero. Provided the subject interested me and the role was good.


Question
After Rajinikant and Kamal you are the one in the next enviable position. How do you feel about it?


Vijay In
I fell very happy. And grateful to all those distributors and producers who have put their faith in me. But comparing me with Rajini and Kamal I feel a little embarrassed by it. They have achieved so much. I still have a long way to go.


Question:
How do you manage to stay away from scandals?


Vijay In
There is no conscious strategy. But I as a newcomer did face this in my earlier days. Gossips about my affair with some heroine. But I didnt react to them then and they died a natural death.


Question:
You are supposed to be one of the highest paid stars. What have you to say about the skyrocketing star price?



Vijay In:
It was after Kadhalukku Mariyadhai that these rumours started that I was charging astronomical rates. I want to clarify here that I have not entered this field for money. I am the only son, and my parents have made enough, and I dont have to struggle and earn my bread. I want to earn popularity, fame, and audience approval. Money is only secondary.

Question:
Who has been the most influential person in your life?


Vijay In:
My father - in all respects, personally and professionally, he has been the greatest influence in my life.


Question:
But its said that he was a little overprotective about you.


Vijay In:
Nothing of that sort, I should say. Being their only son, it was but natural that they be concerned about me. But they never forced their ideas or opinions on me that would have stifled my growth.

Vijay In

Question
Talent, hard work and luck. Which do you consider as the most important for an artistes career?


Vijay In
Talent and luck I would rate at 50-50 for an artistes growth. Hard work is necessary no doubt. But without luck and the talent to back you up, all the hard work would go waste.


Question
Negative criticism, how does it affect you?


Vijay In
I dont take it very seriously. But there was a time when a part of the media, was very harsh on me. When I had that problem with my back and was recuperating. They said that that was the end of me. There were other nasty rumours too. So I make it a point to clarify my stand with the press. They have been to a large extent instrumental in my success and have supported me all along. But thats all a thing of the past and I hold no grudge.

Question
What are your plans for the future?


Vijay In
I have worked hard to reach this position. I have to maintain it. I have to work on how I should consolidate it. I cannot afford to be complacent, for it is a competitive field. I cannot let down my fans, who have put so much faith in me and my producers who have staked so much money on me. The respect and popularity that I have earned is tremendous. I try to do a variety of roles today. But I have realised that at the international level it is the action hero who commands more clout. So whatever roles I do today, I will definitely do at least one action oriented role a year.



Question
You did start as an action hero. Somewhere along the way you changed track.

Vijay In
It is true. Then came Poove Unakkaga where I had this soft role. The film and my role were appreciated. Then, all the films that came my way were similar ones. I did do Selva an action oriented film. It didnt do well, so people never knew about it. My next success was again in a soft romantic role, Love Today. So people got this general impression that I was doing only the softer kind of roles. That was the reason I chose an anti-hero subject like Priyamudan.

Vijay In

Question :
How do you react to success and failure?

Vijay In :
I react the same way to both success and failure, because these things are not in our hands. I do my part to the best of my ability. The rest is in the hands of the audience So, I dont worry much when my films flop nor get unduly excited when they are successful.

Vijay Ins forthcoming films are Khushi where he is paired with Jotika. Produced by A. M. Ratnam (Indian, Kadhalar Dinam) this film is lavishly budgeted. S.J. Surya (of Vaali fame directs it. Another film on the floors is Udaya starring him and Simran. It has music by A. R. Rehman. Produced by V. Natarajan, it is directed by Azhagar Perumal. And there is the Fazil directed Kannukkul Nilavu where Vijay In is teamed again with Shalini. Vijay In feels its a challenging role like the one he had in the directors earlier film Kadhalukku Mariyadhai.
Vijay In: 'The superstar status embarrasses me'

(Source : www.cinematoday2.itgo.com)



Though Vijay In debuted in his home production Nalaya Therpu, directed by his father S A Chandrashekar, it was Fazils super hit Kadhalukku Mariyathai that really boosted his career. Hits like Poove Unkahe by Vikraman, Love Today from Super Good Chowdhary, Priyamudan by Vincent Selva followed and he was hailed Tamil filmdoms superstar, next only to Rajanikanth and Kamal. But two years and a string of flops later, especially Kannukul Nilavu directed by Fazil, had him slipping down and out of competition. Now, with the success of Kushy hes back in reckoning but can he face competition from the likes of Ajith and Vikram?
The star discusses his superstar status, or the lack of it, as well as the rumours of his separation from his wife, his charitable acts and future moves.

Excerpts:

You have been off media for long...
Its not a deliberate move. I was in Ooty, London and Mysore to finish Friends and Priyamaanavale. Secondly, the question on every journalists lips is whether I have divorced my wife. I have been attacked by the press right since my marriage. Some said I was marrying under duress and others said it was without my parents consent. Then there was talk about my wife having a child before marriage and my attempting suicide because of it. Now that my wife delivered in London and I was not with her she is supposed to have separated from me. Should I answer to all this?

Vijay In

What is the truth?
Thank god you asked. I think I am lucky to have got a wife like Sangeetha. She has never reacted to these reports or asked me even once about them. I was completing the shooting of Priyamaanavale at the time she was to deliver and had I taken off it would have caused considerable loss. My parents went and met their daughter-in-law and grandchild instead. They scanned my son's photo and sent it to me. Anyway, I left for London after I finished my work. Some said that I was not with her because I had left her. I am shooting here and why cant the press talk to me about it?

You seem to have lost the superstar status now?
(laughs) It was something the distributors foisted on me. I really havent achieved anything like Rajanikanth or Kamal Haasan and was embarrassed by the superstar status. Failure of some films made the distributors re-think on the superstar status but I think its not so very important while success and failure are. One learns from them and we can only correct our mistakes.

How are you correcting your mistakes?
Priyamaanavale and Friends are two films which are bound to click. Selvabharathi has taken a Telugu story and worked hard on it. Sidiq of Friends is one director who has perfected the script and he comes from the Fazil school and so you can hope for the best.

Fazil once gave a lift to your career but then he also gave you a major flop?
Kannukul Nilavu might be a flop but its not a bad film. The audience was not prepared to see me in a mad mans role and I think I was too young to do the role. But as an actor its a very satisfying role.

Requesting Vikraman to direct you is also a part of your corrective measures?
He gave me a break from the dancing-fighting hero routine with Poove Unkahe and today he is the most saleable director, so what is wrong in my asking him to do a film with me?

Is doing a remake a corrective step?
Selvabharathi and Sidiq are doing remakes because its a surefire way to get a hit and I never found a story better than that of these two films.

Vijay In

Any other projects?
I have a film with Ravi, associate to Ramgopal Varma.

Your charity drives are said to be a move to enter politics?
I am a person who does not read the front page of newspapers because it does not interest me. The other day when I went to a function, the CM called me and spoke to me. Soon everyone started winking and saying look Vijay In is with Karunanidhi. My father has taught me to distance myself from olitics but at the same time not from personalities. All his life, my father has been close to Karunanidhi but never once has he embarked on a political tour for DMK.
My father was the person to initiate me into charity and to tell the truth, I was not interested. I would just start off the charity drive and push off. It was when I read an item about a school topper struggling to raise money, that I traced her and told her that I would sponsor her studies further. The joy in her and her mother was what set me thinking about doing charity. When I donated gold rings to newborns in Madurai Government Hospital, one mother fell at my feet and wept saying it was her dream that one day she should put a gram of gold on her daughter but getting a gold ring on the first day itself was beyond her dreams.

You seem to be very much in awe of your father?
Yes, the reason is that my parents have always taken pains to see that I succeed as an actor. Without my fathers guidance I would not have come up this far and my mothers prayers have undoubtedly helped me.
"An Interview with Actor Vijay In"

(Source : www.cinesouth.com)

"Every film has to be approached with fear in the heart". - Vijay In.


On our way to interview Vijay In at the 'Badhri' sets, we chance to see the posters announcing the one hundredth day celebration of 'Priyamanavale' and the successful run of 'Friends'for twenty five days.

Vijay In

Has Vijay In assumed Viswarupa? At the moment, Vijay In's image has grown very high because of the continuous release of three successful films, namely, Kushi, Piriyamanavale and Friends, that too, within a short span of time. Coming back with a bang has become Vijay In's style.

We are on the dot at the shooting spot of 'Badhri'. The film unit is in a relaxed mood until the arrival of Vijay In. It becomes busy the moment the hero has arrived. Vijay In exchanges pleasantry with all those who have assembled there.

The shot has been made ready. In the scene, Monal rejects the love of Vijay In (as the film is a 'remake' we do explain the scene in all its details).

Silently, Vijay In accepts that he is in love with Monal. But Monal turns down his love for her on account of the difference in status that exists between them. She scolds and chides him too. But Vijay In is not taken aback. He gives suitable rebuff to her.

While the scene was being shot, we could understand as to what makes him so famous.

The scene needed three takes, as Monal was not fluent with her Tamil, but Vijay In was not at all distracted. He was focused to the perfection of his part. He utters his dialogues to himself. He comes round Monal and rehearses his piece of action. He is in all seriousness inside but he conducts himself in a calm, cool and collected way. There is clarity in his words and deeds. He wears a handsome expression in his face. He displays his involvement in full, in the task assigned to him.

We were happy to see his wonderful acting talent. When the scene was done, he made him immediately ready for the interview. Pat came the pithy replies when we shot our questions to him. They were short, crisp, straight and to the point. Therefore it became easy for us to get replies for 16 questions.