CHENNAI: He loves speed, thrives on it and is constantly fascinated by it. Meet Chennai’s very own biking sensation Dilip Rogger, who has won many laurels in the international racing arena, the biggest a spot in the Limca Book of World Records.
Dilip is all set to hit the tracks again after a slack phase of a year, recovering from injuries sustained in three back-to-back crashes. But there’s no drop in enthusiasm. This 25-year-old is already taking on a new role — that of an actor. That’s right, Dilip will now be scorching the celluloid — with his debut flick in Tamil titled Udumban, which will hit screens later this year. “Kamal Haasan is my inspiration,” says Dilip. “He must have broken at least 40 bones during hisfilm career but moves on undeterred. I also like Aamir Khan,” he adds. “It all happened in early 2009 when I was approached for this project. It’s a tough decision for a sportsman, who loves hissport, primarily because he needs to ensure that the schedule and call sheets for the film do not clash with his sport commitments.”
With a father who was a producer himself, the choice was an easy one. “I had done modelling projects as the Indian brand ambassador for Shelton Shirts and have endorsed some racing gear as well. But I did not have any acting experience. The maximum number of retakes during the 75-day shooting schedule was seven. I am even dubbing for myself in this film,” says Dilip, who plays the lead role in Udumban.
Paired with him are two heroines — Radhika, and Natchatira. “Doing this film was nothing less than a challenge. For one, I wore a lungi for the first time in my life and even grew a beard and a moustache. I learnt a lot of stunts, thanks to action director Michael, had to do dance moves for six songs in this film and had to romance, which was the toughest part.
Revealing some interesting facts about the film, Dilip says, “The film is based on the real life story. An udumbu (monitor lizard) shares the screen space with me. Since I have had pets, it was not difficult to tame this one too.”
Once this film hits the screens, Dilip will be the second racer to enter Kollywood after Ajith. “I am confident that people will recognise me in this field. And then, I plan to take acting seriously. I would love to do a film on racing,” says the debutant.