A film starring Vikram is always news, if for nothing, atleast for the various avatars he manages to transform into. 'Irumugan' his upcoming release, also promises to be such a treat to audiences.
The actor, who was in Kochi with producer Shibu Thamees to promote the film, said while he had played multiple roles a number of times through his career (notably 'Anniyan' and 'I'), 'Irumugan' would see him for the first time play the hero and villain simultaneously. "But the real hero of the film is the script, and every aspect of the film, be it the cinematography, music, editing or art direction, have been done with a view to do justice to the story and its characters," he said, and expressed his gratitiude to Shibu, who agreed to finance the project when a number of producers had backed out.
Vikram was also full of praise for Anand Shankar, who wrote and directed the film. "He is a very intelligent director. He learnt filmmaking from New York, so his technique is of international standards. When I read his script for the film, I was so impressed with it that I immediately agreed to do it," the actor remarked.
The trailer for 'Irumugan' has already garnered attention, especially for Vikram's get-up as Love, the film's antagonist. So how hard was it to play hero and villain in the same film? "Simple. To play the hero, I had to act, but to play the villain, I only had to be myself," he joked.
The actor said he was bombarded with questions from people who had seen the trailer, asking if Love is a transgender. The character of Love is the most fascinating in the film, said Vikram, and there is a reason why that character is portrayed in a particular way, which will be apparent once audiences see the film.
Expressing his love for Kerala, Vikram said the film would be his Onam gift to people of the state.
When asked if he was planning to act in a Malayalam movie, Vikram burst into admiration for the new crop of filmmakers that had sprung up in Malayalam cinema and for the way they have been able to create strong characters in their films within small budgets. "If I do a Malayalam movie, I won't do it for the money or the fame. It would have to be a film that people would remember 100 years from now, the way a film like 'Chemmeen' is still cherished," the actor said.