And the legacy lives on

“Success!” was the first word uttered on screen by the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan in his first film, 'Parasakti', way back in 1952.  The actor’s grandson, Vikram Prabhu, too began with success, but of a critical and commercial kind, with 'Kumki' (2012). Heir to a load of talent, he arrived on elephant-back, fully aware of the weight of the legacy he carried on his shoulders. Quite elephantine. When other star kids wait for opportunities to be presented on a silver platter, Vikram Prabhu took the path less travelled, approaching one director after another, much like the hundreds who flock to Kodambakkam every day with little more than a dream.

Since childhood, Vikram admits that his career lay in cinema alone, though he was not clear which aspect of it he would embrace. It was exposure to the West that taught him to really follow his passion. “I’d moved to the U.S for a seven-and-a-half-year course in Television, Film and New Media after graduation. While there, I was able to see people who relentlessly followed their dreams and how they looked at their careers not just as a source of income, but as a pursuit of happiness. Things are different in India, but my family did offer me that space and freedom to become whosoever I wanted to. Once I realised I wanted to become an actor, I cut my stay short and returned to India to work as an assistant director,” Vikram Prabhu says.

It was important for him to work as an assistant director and also learn aspects of production to get a holistic idea of how a film crew worked. “In a film set,” he says, “one can find art in the minutest of things. In a well-functioning crew, one will notice how everyone pitches in with their best efforts to execute a singular vision. The work of an assistant director is extremely challenging and once one has done it, one learns to value the little things, and as an actor, this knowledge gives one the urge to push hard for perfection. When I returned from the U.S, I felt I was looking at trends in the industry like an outsider and I would often find fault and make my critical comments about various aspects. Working as an AD and then in production stopped me  from looking at it through those eyes. I felt like an insider and the good and the bad too became a part of me.”

Among the guidelines he set for himself for his first film, he had decided to act in a project he wanted to watch himself. Knowing very well the importance of choosing a film different from a run-of-the-mill launch vehicles, he says he was hooked after hearing director Prabhu Solomon speak about an unusual subject for his new project in an interview. “I heard that Prabhu sir was going to make a film surrounding an elephant and its mahout. Just the thought of doing a commercial film or a geared-to-the-masses film as my first sounded boring to me. So when I heard about this subject, I was fascinated and I approached him and told him that I was interested — even without my father knowing about it. Prabhu sir then called my dad and asked him about me and the rest fell into place beautifully.”

For a thoroughbred urban boy like Vikram, playing a mahout, based in rural Tamil Nadu, proved an exercise in being removed from his comfort zone. Confessing that he hadn’t met a person like his character in real life, he says much credit must go to the director for extracting an admirable performance from a debutant. His acting style is intense which comes from a controlled aggression he conveys subtly through his eyes.

In 'Ivan Veramathiri', he plays an urban youth, facing the trials of corruption in an unjust society. It was another high-intensity role. “The real test, as they say in the industry, lies in the success of one’s second film rather than the first. The crew in Ivan Veramathiri too is full of people who are working on their second project after the success of 'Engeyum Eppodhum'. So we’re a bunch of people who have a statement to make with this film. My character in the film comes with a ‘violent calm’, which I’m sure will be refreshing to the audience. The character is, like the name denotes, veramathiri.”

With the action scenes being a highlight of 'Ivan Veramathiri', Vikram says that the injuries he incurred during the shoot caused a delay in the film hitting the screens sooner. Having the responsibility of maintaining the same look even while recuperating from injuries proved a challenge, he says. “Ganesh Venkatram and I had quite a few injuries during the shoot of the film and we’ve come to call each other “blood brothers” as a result. Action scenes do come with risks, but thoughts about what’s at stake for the hundreds who come on set and the resources involved, mitigate that pain and we’re given the energy to do one better,” he points out.

With the shooting of 'Sigaram Thodu' and 'Arima Nambi' progressing along with promotional activities for Ivan Veramthiri, how was he managing the juggling act? “People work around the clock and cinema is a source of comfort and relaxation for most of them. But as actors, we need to have a connect with the audience and through promotions, what we try to do is to ask them to make the effort to take time off and go to a theatre to watch a film. It is an opportunity for us to explain to them about the work that goes behind every scene and remain accessible to them as well. Contrary to what some might say, promotion is as integral to a film as the shooting process. It may get tiring, but it is all a part of that pursuit of happiness,” he says with certainty.