Vikram (actor)
Encyclopedia
Vikram is an Indian film actor who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language
films. During his years in the Indian film industry
, he has won five Filmfare Awards
as well as one National Film Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award
amongst other recognitions and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by People's University of Milan
in May 2011. Vikram is known for his intense performances, with his work often fetching critical acclaim and commercial success.
He made his debut in the 1990 film En Kadhal Kanmani, which was followed by a series of small-budget Tamil, Telugu
and Malayalam
films in the 1990s, many of which went unnoticed. However the success of Bala
's tragedy film Sethu (1999), in which Vikram appeared as a rogue turned lover, started Vikram's successful career as an actor. In the early 2000s, Vikram appeared in a series of masala films
, with Dhill
(2001), Gemini
(2002), Dhool
(2003) and Saamy
(2003) becoming commercially successful ventures. During the period, Vikram also appeared in diverse roles and received critical acclaim for his performance as a blind villager in Kasi
and a Robin Hood
-esque figure in Samurai. In 2003, Vikram's performance as a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders in Bala's Pithamagan
saw him win the National Film Award for Best Actor
, with his character only speaking a couple of lines of dialogue in the entire film. His appearance as an innocent Brahmin
with multiple personality disorder in Shankar
's blockbuster Anniyan
(2005) also won critical acclaim, as did his appearance as a superhero in Kanthaswamy
(2009). Vikram's portrayal of Veeraiya, a tribal leader inspired by the Ramayana
character Ravana
, in Mani Ratnam
's Raavanan saw him secure further accolades; while his appearance as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in Deiva Thirumagal
(2011), saw the film earn critical acclaim and commercial success.
Vikram has promoted various social causes and appeared as the Youth Envoy for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
in 2011. He has been a brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust and a school for special children, Vidya Sudha, which he stayed at during the making of Deiva Thirumagal as well as having long-term associations with the Kasi Eye Care and running his own welfare association through the Vikram Foundation.
, Tamil Nadu
on 17 April 1966. He was christened
Kennedy as a child. His father, Vinod Raj was a native of Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram
and ran away from home to start a career in films. His father however did not fare successfully, and only managed to act in supporting roles in Tamil films and television serials and this inspired Vikram to take part in theatre lessons and become professionally trained in classical and cinema dance forms to ensure he became a leading actor. Rajeswari, Vikram's mother, was a sub-collector and her brother, Thyagarajan
is an established director-actor in the Tamil film industry; with his son, actor Prashanth, being Vikram's first cousin. Vikram has an elder sister, Anita, who is a teacher and an elder brother, Arvind, who was previously set to make his film debut in the 2008 film Saroja but eventually did not feature.
Vikram was educated at Montfort School, Yercaud
, a boarding school in a hill station near Salem and graduated in 1983. He has mentioned since that he used his opportunities at school well and learned karate and swimming out of lessons. Despite expressing his interest to join films after school, his father forced him to go through college with Vikram subsequently graduating in English from Loyola College, Chennai
and working half way through an MBA programme. Vikram was knocked down by a truck during a major motorbike accident while in college and suffered a serious leg injury. He remained hospital-ridden bed for three years during college and subsequently went through twenty three surgeries to stop his leg being amputated.
, he was recognised by the film industry, with veteran director C. V. Sridhar
approaching him for a lead role in a film. Vikram made his film debut in 1990 by appearing in En Kadhal Kanmani
, a small budget love story featuring him alongside Rekha Nambiar, with Sridhar's Thanthu Vitten Ennai
opposite Rohini
being his next release. He then signed on to be a part of cinematographer P. C. Sriram
's college love story, Meera
with high expectations, however the three films failed to launch his career. His appearances in Meera and in Kaaval Geetham
, with another veteran director S. P. Muthuraman, helped him secure film offers from the Malayalam and Telugu
film industries. In 1993, he almost signed on to appear in Mani Ratnam
's Bombay
and featured in the initial photo shoot alongside Manisha Koirala
. However Mani Ratnam wanted Vikram to remove his beard for the role, and Vikram could not do so due to continuity problems with another film he had signed and hence was dropped from the project.
Between 1993 and 1994, Vikram appeared in a series of films where he portrayed supporting roles. He appeared in three successful Malayalam films by appearing with Mammooty, Suresh Gopi
and Jayaram
in Joshi
's successful action film Dhruvam
, before teaming up with Gopi again for Shaji Kailas
's Mafia
, which explored Bangalore's criminal underworld. Furthermore, Joshi cast him again alongside Mammooty in the action drama Sainyam
in the role of an air cadet
. During the period, Vikram also appeared in the small budget Telugu film Chirunavvula Varamistava in the lead role and as Akkineni Nageswara Rao
's eldest son in the family drama Bangaru Kutumbam with both films failing commercially. A brief return to Tamil films also proved unsuccessful, with his role in Vikraman
's multistarrer Pudhiya Mannargal
with music composed by A. R. Rahman
turning out to be a commercial failure.
Throughout 1995 and 1996, Vikram appeared in further Telugu and Malayalam films to receive income, being kept away from Tamil films due to a lack of offers. He continued to play supporting roles in the Malayalam films Street and Vijayakrishnan
's Mayoora Nritam and lead roles in the small budget Telugu films Adalla Mazaka and Sriraj Ginne
's Akka! Bagunnava?. He collaborated again with Mammooty in Indraprastham
and Suresh Gopi in Rajaputhran, before appearing in his first lead role in Malayalam with Itha Oru Snehagatha opposite Laila
. Vikram signed Amitabh Bachchan
's first Tamil language film production, Ullaasam, which also featured Ajith Kumar
and Maheswari
. The big budget film created anticipation prior to release but was ultimately panned and fared poorly at the box office. However, Vikram acknowledged the film for expanding his female fan base as a result of the soft-personality of his character. He followed it up with appearances in the unsuccessful films Kurralla Rajyam in Telugu and then in the Ilaiyaraaja
musical Kangalin Vaarthaighal, before playing a short role in Parthiban's critically acclaimed film, Housefull
.
During his struggling phase, Vikram dubbed for other heroes in films including voices for Prabhu Deva, Ajith Kumar
and Abbas
for Kaadhalan, Minsara Kanavu, Amaravathi, Kandukondain Kandukondain
. Vikram has mentioned that he did not look down on dubbing and saw it as "dignity of labour". During the period he also attended dancing classes every day, and tried acting out different scenes, different characters with his small group of friends. Vikram also rejected approaches from television serial producers, citing that working in television would reduce his chances of becoming a mainstream actor.
offered him the role of the rogue, Sethu (Chiyaan), in the film Sethu. To prepare for the character, Vikram shaved his head, thinned down to half his size by losing twenty one kilograms and grew nails for the role. Furthermore, he did not accept any other offers during this period in order to maintain the continuity of his looks, with the film took two full years for completion. Vikram describes the period of production as "the worst phase of his career" as he was weak economically, and "his fire was in danger of dying down". The film struggled to find a distributor and only after 67 screenings did the film manage to find a buyer, with most refusing the film due to the tragic climax. The film released in December 1999 and initially began running at a single noon show at a suburban theatre but gradually built up audiences through word-of-mouth publicity and ran over one hundred at several cinema halls across Chennai
, with Vikram being mobbed by people on the streets as a result of the film's success. Critics lapped up Vikram's performance with a reviewer labeling that "Vikram is a revelation" and that "he is very natural and his acting in last few scenes are just too good and could even be compared with the best we have seen". Similarly, a critic from the New Straits Times
described the film as an "unforgettable experience" and described Vikram's performance as "praise-worthy". The performance drew accolades with Vikram winning the Filmfare Special Award – South and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his portrayal of the title character, while reports emerged that he missed out on the National Film Award for Best Actor
by a single vote to Mohanlal
. Post-success, Vikram has described the film would have been close to him regardless of the commercial success and that it put him on the "right path", with Vikram choosing to adapt the prefix of Chiyaan to his screen name.
Vikram did not sign up to a film for sixty five days after the release of Sethu, to ensure that he made the right career move. Vikram spent time completing projects he had agreed to feature in before the release of Sethu and hence made a couple of appearances in the Malayalam films, Red Indians and the horror film Indriyam. He also played a leading role in Siragugal, a rare Tamil telefilm produced and featuring Radhika Sarathkumar, which was shot entirely in the suburbs of London
. Furthermore, he also completed two Telugu films during the period; 9 Nelalu and Youth. 9 Nelalu featured Vikram as the husband of the character enacted by Soundarya
, who faced the possibilities of being a surrogate mother. The film won positive reviews, with a critic mentioning that Vikram gave a "controlled performance; while Vikram's new found popularity in Tamil films saw the film dubbed into Tamil soon after as Kandane Seethayai, with an inserted comedy track by comedian Vivek
. His next release was Rajakumaran's Vinnukum Mannukum
, alongside Sarath Kumar
, Kushboo and Devayani, which revolved around an ordinary boy falling in love with an actress. Vikram has since mentioned his displeasure at being a part of the film, claiming that he had arguments with the director for every single shot and that "everything in that film, right from the first shot was wrong"; the film became a failure commercially.
Vikram signed on to feature in Dharani
's Dhill
, in which he played an aspiring police officer Kanagavel who tackles a corrupt policeman. To appear trim in the role of the aspiring police officer, Vikram went on a strict diet eating only fruits and drinking juice. The film opened to positive reviews with a critic from The Hindu
claiming that "Vikram has the ability and potential" and that "Vikram has once again proved that his success in Sethu was not a fluke". Dhill subsequently went on to become Vikram's first success in the masala film genre
and led the way for more such films in the same genre for him. Vikram's portrayal of a blind folk singer in Vinayan
's Kasi
won him the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the film also did well commercially. For the movie, he sunbathed on the terrace of his beachside home in Chennai for a sunburnt look and got dizzying headaches while practising to look blind. Again, Vikram's performance won positive reviews from critics with a reviewer decribing it as an "extraordinarily detailed performance" and that "as the blind singer, he brings laughter, tears and a lump in one’s throat".
's Gemini
produced by AVM Productions
, his first big-budget film, which featured him in the role of a local rowdy. The action film won good reviews, with a critic citing that Vikram "delivers a convincing performance" and consequently became a box office triumph. Similarly, the film's soundtrack composed by Bharathwaj
had become popular prior to release, with Vikram also singing a version of the hit song "O Podu!" for the album. Balaji Sakthivel
's Samurai was his next release featuring him as a vigilante Robin Hood
-esque figure who kidnapped corrupt politicians. Vikram had signed the film in early 2000 and the film was on hold during production leading to a two year delay and the film finally opened to average reviews and collections. The critic from The Hindu
drew praise for Vikram's "admirably well-maintained physique and powerful eyes", whilst another labelled that the film's single major positive was Vikram's convincing portrayal. His final release of the year was Prabhu Solomon's King
, a drama film which featured him alongside Sneha and Nassar
. Vikram played Raja, a magician, who is unaware that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
with his family trying to keep the truth away from him. The film also met with an unfavorable response commercially but won positive acclaim from critics.
The success of Dharani
's Dhill resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre, Dhool
, which also featured Jyothika, Reemma Sen and Vivek
. The film saw Vikram play Aarumugham, a villager, who comes to the city seeking help in regard to a water crisis back home but subsequently ends up tackling the corrupt politicians who are behind the water scam. In regard to his performance, the Rediff.com
review praised his enactment citing that "Vikram is at his peak" and that "he seems as much at home with comedy as with action, in romance as in emotional sequences", while the critic from The Hindu also praised his performance. The film became a blockbuster and his fifth success in two and a half years with Vikram being dubbed as "the matinee idol of our times" by a leading Indian newspaper. He also featured in the romantic film, Kadhal Sadugudu
with Priyanka Trivedi which was a critical and commercial failure, with reviewers claiming that "there are times you wish Vikram were a little more brisk and dynamic" in regard to his performance. Post release, Vikram was critical of the film's failure confessed that the story "underwent a lot of changes after the initial narration", lamenting he was "taken for a royal ride" by the producers.
Vikram was then signed on by K. Balachander
to appear in his banner's biggest production til date, Saamy
, directed by Hari
. Vikram played Aarusaamy, an honest cop working in Tirunelveli
who solves the region's communal problems with his down-to-earth approach. Vikram worked on his body for the film, sporting a thick waist to show notable differences from his other police film, Dhill and also put on eight kilograms. The film took a large opening, grossing over Rs. 7 crores in 10 days in Tamil Nadu, while also taking the largest opening of the new millennium in Kerala
, with the Telugu remake rights also sold for a record price. Due to the good opening, the film has proved to be profitable just 10 days after its release and consequently went on to become a blockbuster. Vikram's performance also was lapped up by critics earning him a nomination for Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award, with the critic from Sify
claiming Vikram had "succumbed to the superstar image trap", but is the "mainstay of the picture".
's Pithamagan
along with Suriya, Sangeetha
and Laila
, playing the role of Chitthan, a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders. He did not have any dialogue in the film and the actor’s acting muscles were stretched as he had to use body language and facial expressions to convey his feelings and thoughts, with Vikram also applying the make up for the character himself. The film won positive reviews with the critic from The Hindu
calling it a "symphony on celluloid", while noting that it will be a "milestone in Vikram's career" and "he carves a niche for himself in the viewer's mind with his expressions and excellent body language". His portrayal won him both the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the National Film Award for Best Actor
, with the latter accolade making him only the third Tamil actor to win the award. His next release, the revenge drama Arul
directed by Hari
, garnered poor reviews and box office collections.
Vikram signed on to feature in the action thriller, Anniyan
directed by prominent director Shankar
in March 2004. Vikram agreed to shoot for the film for 140 days, which was revealed to be amongst the longest contracts signed by an actor in a Tamil film. The film featured him as a character suffering from dissociative identity disorder
with three distinct personae: a meek lawyer, a suave fashion model and a psychotic serial killer. Prior to release, the film was touted as the most expensive South Indian film ever, costing Rs 26.38 crores, and released across India with 400 prints. Anniyan took an "extraordinary opening", went on to become a blockbuster grossing more than Rs.100 crores through the original and two dubbed versions. Vikram's performance was unanimously praised, with a reviewer from Sify
citing that "Anniyan truly belongs to Vikram and the film is unthinkable without him" and "it is a role that could have been reduced to a caricature by a lesser actor". The film won 8 out of the 15 awards possible at the 2005 Filmfare Awards South
, with Vikram adjudged Best Actor. Later in the year, he signed and completed Shafi
's comedy film with Asin
, Majaa
, in less then five months. The film which also featured Pasupathy
as his brother, saw Vikram work as the assistant director under Shafi. Majaa faced a poor response at the box office and fetched average reviews with a reviewer citing that "you will surely find something missing".
Vikram then signed up for Bheema
in October 2005, with the film facing severe delays and only releasing in January 2008. The film saw him portray Sekhar, who grows up idolizing the gangster played by Prakash Raj
, and Vikram revealed that he approached the film like an actor even though the film's script was written "for a star". Upon release, the film gained mixed reviews though reviewers praised Vikram's performance with a critic claiming that "Vikram breathes life into the film", "he looks sensational with his toned body, killer looks unarguably delivers yet another outstanding performance of his career" and to "see the film only for him". Similarly the review from The Hindu was critical of the excessive violence and mentioned that "as narration gives way after a point, Vikram can only appear helpless". His next release, Kanthaswamy, directed by Susi Ganesan
and also featuring Shriya Saran
, became the first superhero
film in Tamil cinema with Vikram being featured as a vigilante dressed as an anthropomorphic rooster, Kokorako. Kanthaswamy became Vikram's most expensive production beating Anniyan, with the film boasting of high production values of having an innovative pre-launch trailer and with scenes shot in Italy
and Mexico
. The film earned a mixed response from critics with the reviewer from Sify
claiming that the film "strikes a fine balance between style and substance" and proceeding to state that "Vikram is mesmerizing and has given an extra dimension to the characters he plays in the film and steers it to the winning post", suggesting that "there are very few people in Indian cinema who can do the larger-than-life fantasy character as easily as Vikram". Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu labelled the film as "slow death", claiming that "as an actor, Vikram has nothing to do". The film took a strong opening with a collection of Rs. 37 crore, including Rs. 16 crore in Tamil Nadu, at the box-office in the opening week of its international release. The film subsequently went on to become one of the most profitable films of the year and ran in theaters for over one hundred days.
's bilingual films Raavanan and Raavan
, inspired by the ancient Sanskrit
epic Ramayana
, with Vikram featuring as the tribal leader, Veeraiya, in the Tamil version and the cop, Dev Pratap Sharma, in the Hindi version of the films which were shot simultaneously. Vikram revealed that changes between the two characters during filming took up to 45 minutes, with Abhishek Bachchan
playing the tribal leader in the Hindi version whilst Prithviraj
played the cop in the Tamil version, with Aishwarya Rai
also in the cast. Vikram was initially apprehensive because both roles were to be shot almost simultaneously but revealed he succeeded by showing differences in his body language and expressions. Vikram revealed that he and Abhishek Bachchan played the roles in the respective versions without inspiration from one another. Despite being a non-speaker and making his debut in Hindi, he dubbed his lines in the language remarking jovially it was the "most difficult thing in the world". After promotions at the Cannes Film Festival
and a premiere at Leicester Square
in London
, the two versions and the dubbed Telugu version released simultaneously in 2,200 screens worldwide and took a big opening on day one earning 20 crores. The Tamil version, Raavanan won rave reviews from critics with The Hindu
calling it a "masterstroke" and claiming Vikram "raises the bar higher with every venture". The critic cited that "emotions of love, animus, anguish and joy dance on his face in quick succession", concluding that "Vikram lifts the role to an admirable level". The critic from Sify labelled it as a "astonishing portrayal", while the critic from the Hindustan Times
praised Vikram's "ability to get into Veeraiya’s skin and emote with conviction". The Tamil version consequently went on to become a commercial success, with Vikram's performance leading to him winning the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor among other accolades. In contrast, the Hindi version fetched mixed reviews with critics agreeing that Vikram's performance as the tribal leader was more convincing than Bachchan's. Baradwaj Rangan of The New Indian Express
rated the film 4/5 and said "Raavan falls for Sita (and vice versa) in an intriguingly idiosyncratic take on the Ramayana - if you can get past the lead performances, that is" whereas Taran Adarsh
of Bollywood Hungama
rated it 1.5/5 and said, "On the whole, Raavan is a king-sized disappointment, in terms of content" though mentioning that Vikram was "first-rate, although the role isn't substantial enough". Raavan subsequently went on to become a surprise flop at the Indian box office. The film was also screened at the Venice Film Festival
and the Busan International Film Festival, with Vikram in attendance.
His 2011 release, Deiva Thirumagal
directed by A. L. Vijay
, saw Vikram portray a father with a developmental disability
having the mental maturity of a seven-year-old. To prepare for the role, Vikram visited homes for the mentally challenged such as Vidya Sagar and Vidya Sudha for a month, watching their body language and taking notes. He also communicated with the patients, to pick up the nuances of people with impaired speech. Vikram has since gone on to describe his role as Krishna as the best character he has ever portrayed. The film which also featured Sara Arjun
, Anushka Shetty
and Amala Paul
in supporting roles, opened to predominantly positive reviews from critics and enjoyed commercial success at the box office. The reviewer from The Deccan Chronicle
described that the film was "Vikram’s show all the way" and that "his rendition of a mentally-challenged man trying to cope with the everyday realities of raising a child is a work of art", praising his "fiery, complex performance as one of the more viciously honest depictions of mental illness cinema has seen". Similarly another critic described that the on-screen chemistry between Vikram and his daughter, played by Sara Arjun, is "magic" and their performances "are sure to leave a lump in your throat". The critic from The Hindu praised the film and Vikram's performance but analysed that "a problem arises only when you stop looking at Krishna as a character, and begin to see him as Vikram, the hero" and that Vikram should have "underplayed a little here and there and it would have worked better". Vikram is currently filming for Rajapattai alongside Deeksha Seth under the direction of Suseenthiran where he plays a henchman
trying to get a break in the Tamil film
industry. Furthermore he is simultaneously shooting for a fantasy period film, Karikalan
in which he plays Karikala Chola
, a Tamil king who ruled in 270 BC, opposite Zarine Khan
under the direction of graphics director Kannan. He also agreed terms to feature in director Vijay's next action-thriller, Thaandavam, which also features Anushka Shetty and Amy Jackson
.
's music for Vikram's 2002 film Gemini
, Vikram sang a version of the hit song "O Podu!" for the extended version of the album. During the making of Kanthaswamy
in 2009, the music composer Devi Sri Prasad
had asked Vikram to sing a few rough tracks during the film’s song composition in Malaysia. The producers were impressed with his voice and Vikram ended up singing four songs in the film. Furthermore, Vikram also recorded all four tracks in the Telugu version of the album titled Mallana. He then went on to sing for a film he was unrelated to, by lending five different voices in "Meghame" for G. V. Prakash Kumar
's album in Madrasapattinam. He sang two further songs under Prakash Kumar for his Deiva Thirumagal
, singing in the voice of his character, an adult with the maturity of a six year old. Vikram announced his own production company Reel Life Entertainment in July 2009 and announced that Sasikumar
would direct his first film, the action thriller Easan
, featuring Samudrakani, Vaibhav, Abhinaya
and Aparnaa Bajpai
. However after 90% of the shoot had been completed, Vikram pulled out of the venture citing that Sasikumar had overshot his budget and the director eventually bought and released the film. Vikram worked as the assistant director under Shafi
in Majaa
, and has mentioned he would like to direct a film in the future.
with the Kasi Eye Care, which does free eye surgeries for the poor. Vikram has also set up The Vikram Foundation through his fan club to provide heart operations for the poor, educate poor children and rehabilitate victims from natural disasters. Every year Vikram has celebrated his birthday doing charity work across Tamil Nadu
and in 2008, he organised a camp where a thousand of his fans pledged their eyes in an eye donation appeal.
He has lent his support for the Chennai-based charity, The Banyan
, and appeared in the charity musical Netru, Indru, Naalai
directed by Mani Ratnam for the cause. The actor also starred in the 2010 "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
" music video on national integration alongside a bevy of Indian actors and musicians, describing the experience as "phenomenal". In 2011, Vikram was selected as a Youth Envoy for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
with his aim being to spread awareness about the statutes of U.N Habitat which include urban stabilisation and to help formulate plans for effective water management, slum eradication and women and youth empowerment. Soon after he announced two further social projects, "Karka Kasadara" and "Patchai Puratchi", with the former being to identify school and college drop outs and help them to stand on their own feet, while the latter was about planting trees with an aim to make Chennai
go green.
, a Brahmin
youth with multiple personality disorder in Anniyan
and a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in Deiva Thirumagal
are all roles in which he played a mentally affected man, with Vikram mentioning he does such roles to reinvent himself on screen. Furthermore, Vikram has enjoyed a large fan following in Andhra Pradesh
as a result of a series of successful dubbed Telugu
films with Aparichitudu, dubbed from his Tamil film Anniyan, being among the most successful Telugu films of 2005. All his films are thus released in Telugu soon after their original release in Tamil, while Anniyan was also dubbed in Hindi as Aparichit.
He is amongst the most decorated actors in terms of awards in the history of Tamil cinema
. He holds a National Film Award for Best Actor; a feat only matched by four other actors in Tamil films. Moreover, Vikram holds four Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, with the tally being only second to Kamal Haasan
who has ten wins. In 2010 his film, Raavan
was promoted at the Cannes Film Festival
and then screened at Venice Film Festival
and the Busan International Film Festival. Within weeks of release, Deiva Thirumagal
was sent to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
after it was nominated by the Film Federation of India and the National Film Development Corporation. Vikram is also a recipient of the Kalaimamani Award
from the Government of Tamil Nadu
in 2004. Other recognitions includes a string of Cinema Express Awards
, Vijay Awards
and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
, including recognition in three different categories. In 2011, Vikram was awarded an honorary doctorate from Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano (People's University of Milan) in the field of Fine Arts. Vikram accepted the title on 29 May 2011 and in his next release, Deiva Thirumagal, he was creditted as Dr. Chiyaan Vikram.
, Kerala
and now works as a psychology teacher at a leading Chennai school. Shailaja also worked in the team of Deiva Thirumagal
by giving professional advice on how people with special needs are treated and helping develop the characteristics of the character played by Vikram. Vikram's daughter, Akshita, is nineteen and his son Dhruv is fourteen, with Vikram suggesting that his son is a keen actor. He lives in a house near the beach in Besant Nagar
, Chennai and has stated that he would remain based in Chennai regardless of any offers in other regional films.
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | National Film Award
|-
|-
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
films. During his years in the Indian film industry
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
, he has won five Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
as well as one National Film Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards are the most notable film awards given for Tamil films in India. They are given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The awards are decided by a committee headed by...
amongst other recognitions and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by People's University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
in May 2011. Vikram is known for his intense performances, with his work often fetching critical acclaim and commercial success.
He made his debut in the 1990 film En Kadhal Kanmani, which was followed by a series of small-budget Tamil, Telugu
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
and Malayalam
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
films in the 1990s, many of which went unnoticed. However the success of Bala
Bala (director)
Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala is frequently credited with having "revolutionized Tamil cinema", through his realistic, dark and disturbing films that have garnered high critical acclaim...
's tragedy film Sethu (1999), in which Vikram appeared as a rogue turned lover, started Vikram's successful career as an actor. In the early 2000s, Vikram appeared in a series of masala films
Masala (film genre)
Masala is a term given to films of Indian cinema that mix various genres in one film. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. These films tend to be musicals that include songs filmed in picturesque locations...
, with Dhill
Dhill
Dhill is a Tamil film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram, Laila Mehdin, Nassar and Vivek in critical roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar. The film was a super hit in 2001....
(2001), Gemini
Gemini (2002 film)
Gemini is a Tamil language film which was released in 2002. It was directed by successful director, Saran and it was produced by the AVM company headed by M. S. Guhan and M. Saravanan. The film starred Vikram and Kiran Rathod in the lead roles with Kalabhavan Mani in a villain role. Kiran Rathod...
(2002), Dhool
Dhool
Dhool is a Blockbuster Tamil film directed by Dharani. As like other Dharani films it is a masala based entertainer. The movie stars Vikram, Jyothika, Reema Sen, Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, Telangana, Pasupathy, Paravai Muniyamma, Mayilsamy, Chitti Babu, Shakeela and Manoj K Jayan. The film's music...
(2003) and Saamy
Saamy
Saamy is a 2003 Tamil film directed by Hari starring Vikram and Trisha. The film's music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. This film was a blockbuster of the year and was a musical hit too...
(2003) becoming commercially successful ventures. During the period, Vikram also appeared in diverse roles and received critical acclaim for his performance as a blind villager in Kasi
Kasi (film)
Kasi is a 2001 Tamil drama film directed Vinayan which is the remake of the director's 1999 Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum. The film features Vikram in the title role of a blind young villager with Malayali actresses Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri, reprising her role she played in...
and a Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-esque figure in Samurai. In 2003, Vikram's performance as a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders in Bala's Pithamagan
Pithamagan
Pithamagan is a 2003 Tamil feature drama film directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Surya, Laila, Sangeetha, and Simran. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilayaraaja....
saw him win the National Film Award for Best Actor
National Film Award for Best Actor
The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
, with his character only speaking a couple of lines of dialogue in the entire film. His appearance as an innocent Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
with multiple personality disorder in Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
's blockbuster Anniyan
Anniyan
Anniyan is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Vikram, Sadha, Prakash Raj, and Vivek, while featuring background score and soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released worldwide on 10 June 2005....
(2005) also won critical acclaim, as did his appearance as a superhero in Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy is a 2009 Tamil language feature film directed by Susi Ganesan, who with Kanthaswamy completed his fourth film. Vikram acts in the lead role, whilst Shriya Saran, Prabhu Ganesan, Krishna, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vadivelu and Y. G. Mahendran also play roles in...
(2009). Vikram's portrayal of Veeraiya, a tribal leader inspired by the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
character Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, in Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Raavanan saw him secure further accolades; while his appearance as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
(2011), saw the film earn critical acclaim and commercial success.
Vikram has promoted various social causes and appeared as the Youth Envoy for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
in 2011. He has been a brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust and a school for special children, Vidya Sudha, which he stayed at during the making of Deiva Thirumagal as well as having long-term associations with the Kasi Eye Care and running his own welfare association through the Vikram Foundation.
Early life
Vikram Vinod Raj was born to a Christian father Vinod Raj and Hindu mother Rajeshwari in MadrasChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
on 17 April 1966. He was christened
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
Kennedy as a child. His father, Vinod Raj was a native of Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.-Tourism:...
and ran away from home to start a career in films. His father however did not fare successfully, and only managed to act in supporting roles in Tamil films and television serials and this inspired Vikram to take part in theatre lessons and become professionally trained in classical and cinema dance forms to ensure he became a leading actor. Rajeswari, Vikram's mother, was a sub-collector and her brother, Thyagarajan
Thyagarajan
Thiagarajan is an actor, director and producer of Tamil films. He is the father of Tamil actor Prashanth.-Selected filmography:* John Janni Janardhan* Neengal ketavai* Alaigal Oivathillai* Manu Uncle * Adholokam * Oru Muthassi Katha...
is an established director-actor in the Tamil film industry; with his son, actor Prashanth, being Vikram's first cousin. Vikram has an elder sister, Anita, who is a teacher and an elder brother, Arvind, who was previously set to make his film debut in the 2008 film Saroja but eventually did not feature.
Vikram was educated at Montfort School, Yercaud
Montfort School, Yercaud
Montfort School, Yercaud, is a secondary school for boys and girls run by the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel in the town of Yercaud, near Salem in Tamil Nadu, India. The school motto is "Virtue and Labour".-The Founder:...
, a boarding school in a hill station near Salem and graduated in 1983. He has mentioned since that he used his opportunities at school well and learned karate and swimming out of lessons. Despite expressing his interest to join films after school, his father forced him to go through college with Vikram subsequently graduating in English from Loyola College, Chennai
Loyola College, Chennai
Loyola College is a Jesuit institution in Chennai, India. The college admits undergraduates and post-graduates and offers degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and commerce. It is an autonomous institution affiliated with the University of Madras.-History:...
and working half way through an MBA programme. Vikram was knocked down by a truck during a major motorbike accident while in college and suffered a serious leg injury. He remained hospital-ridden bed for three years during college and subsequently went through twenty three surgeries to stop his leg being amputated.
Early work: 1990–98
Vikram began his career by modelling in advert films for brands including Chola Tea, TVS Excel and Alwyn watches. During the final year of his M.B.A programme at Loyola CollegeLoyola College, Chennai
Loyola College is a Jesuit institution in Chennai, India. The college admits undergraduates and post-graduates and offers degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and commerce. It is an autonomous institution affiliated with the University of Madras.-History:...
, he was recognised by the film industry, with veteran director C. V. Sridhar
C. V. Sridhar
C Sridhar was a South Indian screenwriter and film director. Sridhar hailed from Chitthamur, a village near Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu. He studied at St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School , where he began writing and staging plays while he was in Grade 7. He entered films as a dialogue writer when...
approaching him for a lead role in a film. Vikram made his film debut in 1990 by appearing in En Kadhal Kanmani
En Kadhal Kanmani
En Kadhal Kanmani is a 1990 film starring Vikram and Rekha in the lead roles. This is the debut film for Vikram. The music was composed by L. Vaidyanathan and the songs were written by Vairamuthu....
, a small budget love story featuring him alongside Rekha Nambiar, with Sridhar's Thanthu Vitten Ennai
Thanthu Vitten Ennai
Thanthu Vitten Ennai is a 1991 film starring Vikram and Rohini in the lead roles. This was the last film directed by the legend C. V. Sridhar.-Soundtrack:The film had six songs composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja....
opposite Rohini
Rohini (actress)
Rohini is an actress in south Indian, notably Malayalam and Tamil, films. She started her career in 1976 as a child artist. She was married to actor late Raghuvaran from 1996 to 2003. She is also the most popular dubbing artist in Tamil industry. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyothika ,...
being his next release. He then signed on to be a part of cinematographer P. C. Sriram
P. C. Sriram
P. C. Sreeram is a cinematographer and film director, educated at the Film and Television Institute of Tamil nadu . P.C. Sreeram is fondly called as PC sir. P.C. Sreeram won appreciations for his various cinematographic works and his directorial venture Kurruthipunal was selected as India's...
's college love story, Meera
Meera (1992 film)
Meera is a 1992 Tamil romance film directed by P. C. Sreeram.It was also his directorial debut. The film stars Vikram and Aishwarya while Poornam Viswanathan, Gandhimathi, Janagaraj, Chinni Jayanth, Tarun played supporting roles. Nassar and Sarath Kumar make cameo appearances. The latter has an...
with high expectations, however the three films failed to launch his career. His appearances in Meera and in Kaaval Geetham
Kaaval Geetham
Kaaval Geetham is a 1992 film starring Vikram and Sithara in the lead roles. The music was by Ilayaraja and directed by S. P. Muthuraman-Soundtrack:The film had six songs composed by maestro Ilayaraja. The songs were written by Piraisoodan and Vaali...
, with another veteran director S. P. Muthuraman, helped him secure film offers from the Malayalam and Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
film industries. In 1993, he almost signed on to appear in Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Bombay
Bombay (film)
Bombay is a critically acclaimed and national award-winning 1995 Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, with music composed by A. R. Rahman...
and featured in the initial photo shoot alongside Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala
Manisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
. However Mani Ratnam wanted Vikram to remove his beard for the role, and Vikram could not do so due to continuity problems with another film he had signed and hence was dropped from the project.
Between 1993 and 1994, Vikram appeared in a series of films where he portrayed supporting roles. He appeared in three successful Malayalam films by appearing with Mammooty, Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
and Jayaram
Jayaram
Jayaram is an Indian film actor who mainly acts in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is also a chenda percussionist and mimic artist. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contribution towards the arts.-Early life:...
in Joshi
Joshi (director)
Joshiy is a popular Malayalam film director who is popular for big budget action movies with huge star cast. In his three decades long career, Joshi has made several big hits and is still active in film making.-Career:...
's successful action film Dhruvam
Dhruvam
Dhruvam is a 1993 Malayalam action film directed by Joshiy and written by S. N. Swamy and Sajan Babu; starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Gauthami, Tiger Prabhakar, and Vikram in the main roles. The film was among the highest grossing Malayalam films of 1993. The music is composed by S. P...
, before teaming up with Gopi again for Shaji Kailas
Shaji Kailas
Shaji Kailas is a Malayalam film director. He is known for his hard-hitting action films.-Childhood and entry into films:Shaji Kailas was born in Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram, to Late Sivakumaran Nair and Janakiyamma. After attending Model Boys School, Shaji pursued degree at Mahatma Gandhi...
's Mafia
Mafia (1993 film)
Mafia is a 1993 Malayalam film directed by Shaji Kailas. Scripted by Renji Panicker, with Suresh Gopi, Janardhanan, Tiger Prabhakar, Babu Antony, Vijayaraghavan, Vikram Kennedy and Geetha in lead roles, this film revolved around Bangalore underworld...
, which explored Bangalore's criminal underworld. Furthermore, Joshi cast him again alongside Mammooty in the action drama Sainyam
Sainyam
Sainyam is a 1994 Malayalam film written by S. N. Swamy and directed by Joshi. It starred Mammootty in the title role and Mukesh, Vikram, Mohini, Priya Raman, and Dileep in other roles.-Plot:...
in the role of an air cadet
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
. During the period, Vikram also appeared in the small budget Telugu film Chirunavvula Varamistava in the lead role and as Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao , also known as ANR, is a Telugu cinema actor from Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh. Nageswara Rao has worked in several genres of films in his 70-year acting career, including mythological, social, and drama films...
's eldest son in the family drama Bangaru Kutumbam with both films failing commercially. A brief return to Tamil films also proved unsuccessful, with his role in Vikraman
Vikraman
Vikraman is a reputed Tamil filmmaker. He is also one of the most successful Tamil directors.-Early career:Vikraman made his debut with the movie Pudhu Vasantham, a story of four unemployed friends who are musical experts. This movie released in 1989 was successful. Its hero Murali went on to...
's multistarrer Pudhiya Mannargal
Pudhiya Mannargal
Pudhiya Mannargal is a 1994 Tamil film directed by Vikraman and music by A. R. Rahman. The film features Vikram and Mohini in the lead roles.,It was a super hit among the audiences and the main highlight was the message delivered in the movie. The movie now is more known for its soundtrack as they...
with music composed by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
turning out to be a commercial failure.
Throughout 1995 and 1996, Vikram appeared in further Telugu and Malayalam films to receive income, being kept away from Tamil films due to a lack of offers. He continued to play supporting roles in the Malayalam films Street and Vijayakrishnan
Vijayakrishnan
Vijayakrishnan was born in 1952 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He is a well-known film critic as well as a film director who also writes stories and movie reviews. Vijayakrishnan has received eight State Awards, one National Award, and two Critics Awards, among many others...
's Mayoora Nritam and lead roles in the small budget Telugu films Adalla Mazaka and Sriraj Ginne
Sriraj Ginne
Sriraj Ginne, , born November 22, 1946, is a renowned story & dialogue writer of Tollywood in India. He is known for his work for the movies blockbuster melodrama Kalikaalam. His other movies include Surigaadu, Premisthe etc. Telugu television serials such as Sneha, etc...
's Akka! Bagunnava?. He collaborated again with Mammooty in Indraprastham
Indraprastham (film)
Indraprastham is 1996 Malayalam movie made in India,by Haridas, starring Mammootty, Simran, Prakash Raj and Vikram in the lead roles. Despite being produced at a huge budget, this film was a big flop at the box office.-Plot:...
and Suresh Gopi in Rajaputhran, before appearing in his first lead role in Malayalam with Itha Oru Snehagatha opposite Laila
Laila Mehdin
Laila Mehdin is an Indian actress. She has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi language films. She is probably best known for her critically acclaimed and award-winning performances in the Bala-directed films Nandha and Pithamagan.-Career:She made her debut in the Telugu film...
. Vikram signed Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
's first Tamil language film production, Ullaasam, which also featured Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
and Maheswari
Maheswari
Maheswari is a Tamil film actress, who has appeared in Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in Ullasam and Karuththamma. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Nee Kosam. She is the cousin of popular actress, Sridevi. veerudu in 1997-...
. The big budget film created anticipation prior to release but was ultimately panned and fared poorly at the box office. However, Vikram acknowledged the film for expanding his female fan base as a result of the soft-personality of his character. He followed it up with appearances in the unsuccessful films Kurralla Rajyam in Telugu and then in the Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
musical Kangalin Vaarthaighal, before playing a short role in Parthiban's critically acclaimed film, Housefull
Housefull (1999 film)
Housefull is a 1999 Tamil film directed by Parthiban. The film stars himself, Vikram and Suvalakshmi in the lead roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja.-Plot:...
.
During his struggling phase, Vikram dubbed for other heroes in films including voices for Prabhu Deva, Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
and Abbas
Abbas (actor)
Mirza Abbas Ali , known as Abbas, is an Indian film actor and model. He has appeared in Kollywood Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films.Born in Calcutta and educated in Mumbai, he was discovered modeling in Bangalore...
for Kaadhalan, Minsara Kanavu, Amaravathi, Kandukondain Kandukondain
Kandukondain Kandukondain
Kandukondain Kandukondain is a 2000 Tamil musical and romantic film based on Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. Directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon, the film features an ensemble cast of Ajith Kumar, Mammootty, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai and Abbas in the lead roles...
. Vikram has mentioned that he did not look down on dubbing and saw it as "dignity of labour". During the period he also attended dancing classes every day, and tried acting out different scenes, different characters with his small group of friends. Vikram also rejected approaches from television serial producers, citing that working in television would reduce his chances of becoming a mainstream actor.
Breakthrough: 1999–2001
In 1998, debutant director BalaBala (director)
Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala is frequently credited with having "revolutionized Tamil cinema", through his realistic, dark and disturbing films that have garnered high critical acclaim...
offered him the role of the rogue, Sethu (Chiyaan), in the film Sethu. To prepare for the character, Vikram shaved his head, thinned down to half his size by losing twenty one kilograms and grew nails for the role. Furthermore, he did not accept any other offers during this period in order to maintain the continuity of his looks, with the film took two full years for completion. Vikram describes the period of production as "the worst phase of his career" as he was weak economically, and "his fire was in danger of dying down". The film struggled to find a distributor and only after 67 screenings did the film manage to find a buyer, with most refusing the film due to the tragic climax. The film released in December 1999 and initially began running at a single noon show at a suburban theatre but gradually built up audiences through word-of-mouth publicity and ran over one hundred at several cinema halls across Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, with Vikram being mobbed by people on the streets as a result of the film's success. Critics lapped up Vikram's performance with a reviewer labeling that "Vikram is a revelation" and that "he is very natural and his acting in last few scenes are just too good and could even be compared with the best we have seen". Similarly, a critic from the New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
described the film as an "unforgettable experience" and described Vikram's performance as "praise-worthy". The performance drew accolades with Vikram winning the Filmfare Special Award – South and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his portrayal of the title character, while reports emerged that he missed out on the National Film Award for Best Actor
National Film Award for Best Actor
The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
by a single vote to Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
. Post-success, Vikram has described the film would have been close to him regardless of the commercial success and that it put him on the "right path", with Vikram choosing to adapt the prefix of Chiyaan to his screen name.
Vikram did not sign up to a film for sixty five days after the release of Sethu, to ensure that he made the right career move. Vikram spent time completing projects he had agreed to feature in before the release of Sethu and hence made a couple of appearances in the Malayalam films, Red Indians and the horror film Indriyam. He also played a leading role in Siragugal, a rare Tamil telefilm produced and featuring Radhika Sarathkumar, which was shot entirely in the suburbs of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Furthermore, he also completed two Telugu films during the period; 9 Nelalu and Youth. 9 Nelalu featured Vikram as the husband of the character enacted by Soundarya
Soundarya
Soundarya was a film actress who appeared in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She acted in more than 90 films, most of them in Telugu. She was killed in a plane crash near Bangalore.-Film career:...
, who faced the possibilities of being a surrogate mother. The film won positive reviews, with a critic mentioning that Vikram gave a "controlled performance; while Vikram's new found popularity in Tamil films saw the film dubbed into Tamil soon after as Kandane Seethayai, with an inserted comedy track by comedian Vivek
Vivek (actor)
Vivekananthan is an Indian film actor and comedian. He has won four Filmfare Best Comedian Awards for his performances in Run, Saamy, Perazhagan and Sivaji, respectively. In April 2009, Vivek received the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for his contribution to the arts. He was...
. His next release was Rajakumaran's Vinnukum Mannukum
Vinnukum Mannukum
Vinnukum Mannukum is a love-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Rajakumar. It stars Vikram, Sarath Kumar, Devayani and Kushboo in the lead roles...
, alongside Sarath Kumar
Sarath Kumar
Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian journalist, film actor, politician, body builder and the current president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association. He started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He was first chosen for the...
, Kushboo and Devayani, which revolved around an ordinary boy falling in love with an actress. Vikram has since mentioned his displeasure at being a part of the film, claiming that he had arguments with the director for every single shot and that "everything in that film, right from the first shot was wrong"; the film became a failure commercially.
Vikram signed on to feature in Dharani
Dharani (director)
Dharani is an Indian film director, who primarily directs action-masala films. He is best known for directing the blockbuster films Dhill, Dhool and Ghilli.-Career:...
's Dhill
Dhill
Dhill is a Tamil film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram, Laila Mehdin, Nassar and Vivek in critical roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar. The film was a super hit in 2001....
, in which he played an aspiring police officer Kanagavel who tackles a corrupt policeman. To appear trim in the role of the aspiring police officer, Vikram went on a strict diet eating only fruits and drinking juice. The film opened to positive reviews with a critic from The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
claiming that "Vikram has the ability and potential" and that "Vikram has once again proved that his success in Sethu was not a fluke". Dhill subsequently went on to become Vikram's first success in the masala film genre
Masala (film genre)
Masala is a term given to films of Indian cinema that mix various genres in one film. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. These films tend to be musicals that include songs filmed in picturesque locations...
and led the way for more such films in the same genre for him. Vikram's portrayal of a blind folk singer in Vinayan
Vinayan
Vinayan is an Indian film director, mainly of Malayalam movies. He started his career with the film Super Star, in which he used a Mohanlal look-alike in the lead role....
's Kasi
Kasi (film)
Kasi is a 2001 Tamil drama film directed Vinayan which is the remake of the director's 1999 Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum. The film features Vikram in the title role of a blind young villager with Malayali actresses Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri, reprising her role she played in...
won him the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the film also did well commercially. For the movie, he sunbathed on the terrace of his beachside home in Chennai for a sunburnt look and got dizzying headaches while practising to look blind. Again, Vikram's performance won positive reviews from critics with a reviewer decribing it as an "extraordinarily detailed performance" and that "as the blind singer, he brings laughter, tears and a lump in one’s throat".
Commercial success: 2002–03
The following year, Vikram went on to play the title role in SaranSaran (director)
Saran is a Tamil film director from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He was once an assistant to K. Balachander. He now owns a production house called Gemini Productions.-Life and Career:...
's Gemini
Gemini (2002 film)
Gemini is a Tamil language film which was released in 2002. It was directed by successful director, Saran and it was produced by the AVM company headed by M. S. Guhan and M. Saravanan. The film starred Vikram and Kiran Rathod in the lead roles with Kalabhavan Mani in a villain role. Kiran Rathod...
produced by AVM Productions
AVM Productions
AVM is the oldest and largest film production studio in India. It is currently owned by M. Saravanan and his son, M. S. Guhan. The most recent film they have produced since their opening with Nam Iruvar in 1947, is Vettaikkaaran and Leader. The filming studios are located in Vadapalani, Chennai....
, his first big-budget film, which featured him in the role of a local rowdy. The action film won good reviews, with a critic citing that Vikram "delivers a convincing performance" and consequently became a box office triumph. Similarly, the film's soundtrack composed by Bharathwaj
Bharathwaj
Bharathwaj is a Tamil film composer. He has since scored music in languages including Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music.He is a recipient of Kalaimamani Award for the year 2008 from Tamil Nadu Government...
had become popular prior to release, with Vikram also singing a version of the hit song "O Podu!" for the album. Balaji Sakthivel
Balaji Sakthivel
Balaji Sakthivel is a prominent Tamil film director, best known for directing the 2004 film, Kaadhal.-Career:Balaji Sakthivel began as an assistant director under popular director S. Shankar. In 2002, he directed his first film, Samurai for Vikram - however despite receiving positive reviews, did...
's Samurai was his next release featuring him as a vigilante Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-esque figure who kidnapped corrupt politicians. Vikram had signed the film in early 2000 and the film was on hold during production leading to a two year delay and the film finally opened to average reviews and collections. The critic from The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
drew praise for Vikram's "admirably well-maintained physique and powerful eyes", whilst another labelled that the film's single major positive was Vikram's convincing portrayal. His final release of the year was Prabhu Solomon's King
King (film)
King is a love-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Prabu Solomon. It stars Vikram and Sneha in the lead roles. It flopped miserably at the box-office.-Plot:...
, a drama film which featured him alongside Sneha and Nassar
Nassar
Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
. Vikram played Raja, a magician, who is unaware that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
with his family trying to keep the truth away from him. The film also met with an unfavorable response commercially but won positive acclaim from critics.
The success of Dharani
Dharani (director)
Dharani is an Indian film director, who primarily directs action-masala films. He is best known for directing the blockbuster films Dhill, Dhool and Ghilli.-Career:...
's Dhill resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre, Dhool
Dhool
Dhool is a Blockbuster Tamil film directed by Dharani. As like other Dharani films it is a masala based entertainer. The movie stars Vikram, Jyothika, Reema Sen, Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, Telangana, Pasupathy, Paravai Muniyamma, Mayilsamy, Chitti Babu, Shakeela and Manoj K Jayan. The film's music...
, which also featured Jyothika, Reemma Sen and Vivek
Vivek (actor)
Vivekananthan is an Indian film actor and comedian. He has won four Filmfare Best Comedian Awards for his performances in Run, Saamy, Perazhagan and Sivaji, respectively. In April 2009, Vivek received the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for his contribution to the arts. He was...
. The film saw Vikram play Aarumugham, a villager, who comes to the city seeking help in regard to a water crisis back home but subsequently ends up tackling the corrupt politicians who are behind the water scam. In regard to his performance, the Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
review praised his enactment citing that "Vikram is at his peak" and that "he seems as much at home with comedy as with action, in romance as in emotional sequences", while the critic from The Hindu also praised his performance. The film became a blockbuster and his fifth success in two and a half years with Vikram being dubbed as "the matinee idol of our times" by a leading Indian newspaper. He also featured in the romantic film, Kadhal Sadugudu
Kadhal Sadugudu
Kadhal Sadugudu is a romantic-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Durai, who is also the director of Mugavaree. It stars Vikram and Priyanka Trivedi in the lead roles, with Prakash Raj in the supporting role of Priyanka's father....
with Priyanka Trivedi which was a critical and commercial failure, with reviewers claiming that "there are times you wish Vikram were a little more brisk and dynamic" in regard to his performance. Post release, Vikram was critical of the film's failure confessed that the story "underwent a lot of changes after the initial narration", lamenting he was "taken for a royal ride" by the producers.
Vikram was then signed on by K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
to appear in his banner's biggest production til date, Saamy
Saamy
Saamy is a 2003 Tamil film directed by Hari starring Vikram and Trisha. The film's music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. This film was a blockbuster of the year and was a musical hit too...
, directed by Hari
Hari (director)
Hari is a Tamil film director, best known for his action-masala films. , he has directed eleven films.- Background :Hari was born in Katchanavilai near Nazereth in Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Gopal Nadar, is a vessels merchant. Later his family shifted to Chennai...
. Vikram played Aarusaamy, an honest cop working in Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
who solves the region's communal problems with his down-to-earth approach. Vikram worked on his body for the film, sporting a thick waist to show notable differences from his other police film, Dhill and also put on eight kilograms. The film took a large opening, grossing over Rs. 7 crores in 10 days in Tamil Nadu, while also taking the largest opening of the new millennium in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, with the Telugu remake rights also sold for a record price. Due to the good opening, the film has proved to be profitable just 10 days after its release and consequently went on to become a blockbuster. Vikram's performance also was lapped up by critics earning him a nomination for Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award, with the critic from Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
claiming Vikram had "succumbed to the superstar image trap", but is the "mainstay of the picture".
Critical acclaim: 2003–09
Later that year he starred in BalaBala (director)
Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala is frequently credited with having "revolutionized Tamil cinema", through his realistic, dark and disturbing films that have garnered high critical acclaim...
's Pithamagan
Pithamagan
Pithamagan is a 2003 Tamil feature drama film directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Surya, Laila, Sangeetha, and Simran. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilayaraaja....
along with Suriya, Sangeetha
Sangeetha
Sangeetha Arvind-Krish is an Indian film actress. Making her acting debut in the mid-90s, she is probably best known for her performances in the films Khadgam, Pithamagan, Uyir and Dhanam.-Early life:...
and Laila
Laila Mehdin
Laila Mehdin is an Indian actress. She has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi language films. She is probably best known for her critically acclaimed and award-winning performances in the Bala-directed films Nandha and Pithamagan.-Career:She made her debut in the Telugu film...
, playing the role of Chitthan, a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders. He did not have any dialogue in the film and the actor’s acting muscles were stretched as he had to use body language and facial expressions to convey his feelings and thoughts, with Vikram also applying the make up for the character himself. The film won positive reviews with the critic from The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
calling it a "symphony on celluloid", while noting that it will be a "milestone in Vikram's career" and "he carves a niche for himself in the viewer's mind with his expressions and excellent body language". His portrayal won him both the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the National Film Award for Best Actor
National Film Award for Best Actor
The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
, with the latter accolade making him only the third Tamil actor to win the award. His next release, the revenge drama Arul
Arul
-Box office:The film opened in 170 screens throughout Tamil Nadu. It was a below average grosser in spite of Vikram's star power and such a big release.-Trivia:...
directed by Hari
Hari (director)
Hari is a Tamil film director, best known for his action-masala films. , he has directed eleven films.- Background :Hari was born in Katchanavilai near Nazereth in Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Gopal Nadar, is a vessels merchant. Later his family shifted to Chennai...
, garnered poor reviews and box office collections.
Vikram signed on to feature in the action thriller, Anniyan
Anniyan
Anniyan is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Vikram, Sadha, Prakash Raj, and Vivek, while featuring background score and soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released worldwide on 10 June 2005....
directed by prominent director Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
in March 2004. Vikram agreed to shoot for the film for 140 days, which was revealed to be amongst the longest contracts signed by an actor in a Tamil film. The film featured him as a character suffering from dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
with three distinct personae: a meek lawyer, a suave fashion model and a psychotic serial killer. Prior to release, the film was touted as the most expensive South Indian film ever, costing Rs 26.38 crores, and released across India with 400 prints. Anniyan took an "extraordinary opening", went on to become a blockbuster grossing more than Rs.100 crores through the original and two dubbed versions. Vikram's performance was unanimously praised, with a reviewer from Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
citing that "Anniyan truly belongs to Vikram and the film is unthinkable without him" and "it is a role that could have been reduced to a caricature by a lesser actor". The film won 8 out of the 15 awards possible at the 2005 Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the South Indian film industry. The awards are separately given for Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films...
, with Vikram adjudged Best Actor. Later in the year, he signed and completed Shafi
Shafi (director)
Shafi is an Indian film director who mainly works in Malayalam cinema, known for his comedy films. He has also directed a Tamil film. The director Rafi of the Rafi Mecartin duo is his elder brother. His well known films include Kalyanaraman , Thommanum Makkalum , Mayavi , and Chocolate...
's comedy film with Asin
Asín
Asín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
, Majaa
Majaa
Majaa is a 2005 Tamil film directed by Shafi, starring Vikram, Asin, Vadivelu, Pasupathy, Vijayakumar, Manivannan, Sindhu Tolani, Murali and Biju Menon. The music is composed by Vidyasagar. It tells the story of two adopted children changing from their old, mischievous ways of life...
, in less then five months. The film which also featured Pasupathy
Pasupathy
Pasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
as his brother, saw Vikram work as the assistant director under Shafi. Majaa faced a poor response at the box office and fetched average reviews with a reviewer citing that "you will surely find something missing".
Vikram then signed up for Bheema
Bheema
-Box office:In its opening week, the film grossed a record of 19 crores in Tamil nadu and fetched a record 5 crores in Thiruvarur alone, thus becoming the second biggest opening after Sivaji at that time. The film debuted at number one position at the Chennai box-office and grossed 58 lakhs in the...
in October 2005, with the film facing severe delays and only releasing in January 2008. The film saw him portray Sekhar, who grows up idolizing the gangster played by Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
, and Vikram revealed that he approached the film like an actor even though the film's script was written "for a star". Upon release, the film gained mixed reviews though reviewers praised Vikram's performance with a critic claiming that "Vikram breathes life into the film", "he looks sensational with his toned body, killer looks unarguably delivers yet another outstanding performance of his career" and to "see the film only for him". Similarly the review from The Hindu was critical of the excessive violence and mentioned that "as narration gives way after a point, Vikram can only appear helpless". His next release, Kanthaswamy, directed by Susi Ganesan
Susi Ganesan
-Early life:He was born in Vannivelampatti, Madurai District in Tamil Nadu to Tamil people Subbiah and Sittappa. He changed his screenname to Susi Ganeshan, his first name being derived from the first two letters from his parents' first names. He graduated from Madras Institute of Technology with a...
and also featuring Shriya Saran
Shriya Saran
Shriya Saran , also known by the mononym Shriya, is an Indian film actress and model. She has worked in several of the regional industries of Indian cinema, having acted in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi language films, as well as a few films in English, Malayalam and Kannada...
, became the first superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
film in Tamil cinema with Vikram being featured as a vigilante dressed as an anthropomorphic rooster, Kokorako. Kanthaswamy became Vikram's most expensive production beating Anniyan, with the film boasting of high production values of having an innovative pre-launch trailer and with scenes shot in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The film earned a mixed response from critics with the reviewer from Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
claiming that the film "strikes a fine balance between style and substance" and proceeding to state that "Vikram is mesmerizing and has given an extra dimension to the characters he plays in the film and steers it to the winning post", suggesting that "there are very few people in Indian cinema who can do the larger-than-life fantasy character as easily as Vikram". Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu labelled the film as "slow death", claiming that "as an actor, Vikram has nothing to do". The film took a strong opening with a collection of Rs. 37 crore, including Rs. 16 crore in Tamil Nadu, at the box-office in the opening week of its international release. The film subsequently went on to become one of the most profitable films of the year and ran in theaters for over one hundred days.
Raavanan and the future: 2010–present
Vikram then featured in Mani RatnamMani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's bilingual films Raavanan and Raavan
Raavan
Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles...
, inspired by the ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, with Vikram featuring as the tribal leader, Veeraiya, in the Tamil version and the cop, Dev Pratap Sharma, in the Hindi version of the films which were shot simultaneously. Vikram revealed that changes between the two characters during filming took up to 45 minutes, with Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
playing the tribal leader in the Hindi version whilst Prithviraj
Prithviraj Sukumaran
Prithviraj Sukumaran credited mononymously as Prithviraj, is an Indian film actor and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema....
played the cop in the Tamil version, with Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
also in the cast. Vikram was initially apprehensive because both roles were to be shot almost simultaneously but revealed he succeeded by showing differences in his body language and expressions. Vikram revealed that he and Abhishek Bachchan played the roles in the respective versions without inspiration from one another. Despite being a non-speaker and making his debut in Hindi, he dubbed his lines in the language remarking jovially it was the "most difficult thing in the world". After promotions at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and a premiere at Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the two versions and the dubbed Telugu version released simultaneously in 2,200 screens worldwide and took a big opening on day one earning 20 crores. The Tamil version, Raavanan won rave reviews from critics with The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
calling it a "masterstroke" and claiming Vikram "raises the bar higher with every venture". The critic cited that "emotions of love, animus, anguish and joy dance on his face in quick succession", concluding that "Vikram lifts the role to an admirable level". The critic from Sify labelled it as a "astonishing portrayal", while the critic from the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
praised Vikram's "ability to get into Veeraiya’s skin and emote with conviction". The Tamil version consequently went on to become a commercial success, with Vikram's performance leading to him winning the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor among other accolades. In contrast, the Hindi version fetched mixed reviews with critics agreeing that Vikram's performance as the tribal leader was more convincing than Bachchan's. Baradwaj Rangan of The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
rated the film 4/5 and said "Raavan falls for Sita (and vice versa) in an intriguingly idiosyncratic take on the Ramayana - if you can get past the lead performances, that is" whereas Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
rated it 1.5/5 and said, "On the whole, Raavan is a king-sized disappointment, in terms of content" though mentioning that Vikram was "first-rate, although the role isn't substantial enough". Raavan subsequently went on to become a surprise flop at the Indian box office. The film was also screened at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Busan International Film Festival, with Vikram in attendance.
His 2011 release, Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
directed by A. L. Vijay
A. L. Vijay
A. L. Vijay is a Tamil film director. Earlier he worked as an assistant and close associate of director Priyadarshan. His father A. L. Azhagappan was the president of Tamilnadu Producers Council and appeared in the film Eesan. His brother, Udhaya, has also starred in Tamil films. Presently A. L...
, saw Vikram portray a father with a developmental disability
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
having the mental maturity of a seven-year-old. To prepare for the role, Vikram visited homes for the mentally challenged such as Vidya Sagar and Vidya Sudha for a month, watching their body language and taking notes. He also communicated with the patients, to pick up the nuances of people with impaired speech. Vikram has since gone on to describe his role as Krishna as the best character he has ever portrayed. The film which also featured Sara Arjun
Sara Arjun
Sara Arjun is an Indian child actress who has appeared in films and commercials. Born in Mumbai, India, Sara had appeared in a series of commercials and a short Hindi film before the age of six. In 2010, she was signed on to portray a lead role in A. L...
, Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
and Amala Paul
Amala Paul
Amala Paul is an Indian film actress, who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. After appearing in supporting roles in a few low budget ventures, she was acclaimed for the portrayal of a controversial character in the film, Sindhu Samaveli...
in supporting roles, opened to predominantly positive reviews from critics and enjoyed commercial success at the box office. The reviewer from The Deccan Chronicle
The Deccan Chronicle
Deccan Chronicle is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Hyderabad, India by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited. The newspaper's name derives from the originating place, the Deccan regions of India. Supplements are "TV Guide", "Sunday Chronicle", "Chennai Chronicle", and...
described that the film was "Vikram’s show all the way" and that "his rendition of a mentally-challenged man trying to cope with the everyday realities of raising a child is a work of art", praising his "fiery, complex performance as one of the more viciously honest depictions of mental illness cinema has seen". Similarly another critic described that the on-screen chemistry between Vikram and his daughter, played by Sara Arjun, is "magic" and their performances "are sure to leave a lump in your throat". The critic from The Hindu praised the film and Vikram's performance but analysed that "a problem arises only when you stop looking at Krishna as a character, and begin to see him as Vikram, the hero" and that Vikram should have "underplayed a little here and there and it would have worked better". Vikram is currently filming for Rajapattai alongside Deeksha Seth under the direction of Suseenthiran where he plays a henchman
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
trying to get a break in the Tamil film
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
industry. Furthermore he is simultaneously shooting for a fantasy period film, Karikalan
Karikalan (film)
Karikalan is an upcoming Tamil-language action film directed by L. I. Kannan featuring Vikram and Zarine Khan in the lead roles. The film which has been reported as a "period cum contemporary drama" is likely to release in 2012.-Cast:* Vikram...
in which he plays Karikala Chola
Karikala Chola
Karikala Chola or Karikala Chozhan was one of the great Tamil kings of Early Chola during the Sangam period. He was the son of Ilamcetcenni and ruled around 270 BC....
, a Tamil king who ruled in 270 BC, opposite Zarine Khan
Zarine Khan
Zarine Khan is an Indian actress and model who appears in Bollywood films. She made her acting debut in the 2010 period film Veer co-starring with Salman Khan. Khan has been noted for looks very similar to actress Katrina Kaif.-Early life:...
under the direction of graphics director Kannan. He also agreed terms to feature in director Vijay's next action-thriller, Thaandavam, which also features Anushka Shetty and Amy Jackson
Amy Jackson
Amy Louise Jackson is a British model and film actress. Before starting her acting career, Jackson won the Miss Teen World competition in 2008 and went on to win Miss Liverpool in 2010 and was hotly tipped to be Miss England in 2010 but lost out to Jessica Linley...
.
Film and television work
Apart from acting, Vikram has also been a part of other film-making processes with credits as a playback singer and as an assistant director. In 2000, Vikram and actress Meena launched a pop album titled Kadhalism, which the pair would sing and appear in music videos for, although the project was completed without much promotion. Following the success of BharathwajBharathwaj
Bharathwaj is a Tamil film composer. He has since scored music in languages including Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music.He is a recipient of Kalaimamani Award for the year 2008 from Tamil Nadu Government...
's music for Vikram's 2002 film Gemini
Gemini (2002 film)
Gemini is a Tamil language film which was released in 2002. It was directed by successful director, Saran and it was produced by the AVM company headed by M. S. Guhan and M. Saravanan. The film starred Vikram and Kiran Rathod in the lead roles with Kalabhavan Mani in a villain role. Kiran Rathod...
, Vikram sang a version of the hit song "O Podu!" for the extended version of the album. During the making of Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy is a 2009 Tamil language feature film directed by Susi Ganesan, who with Kanthaswamy completed his fourth film. Vikram acts in the lead role, whilst Shriya Saran, Prabhu Ganesan, Krishna, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vadivelu and Y. G. Mahendran also play roles in...
in 2009, the music composer Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad is a music composer and playback singer in Telugu and Tamil films. His soundtracks have been dubbed or remade in several other languages as well.- Awards :...
had asked Vikram to sing a few rough tracks during the film’s song composition in Malaysia. The producers were impressed with his voice and Vikram ended up singing four songs in the film. Furthermore, Vikram also recorded all four tracks in the Telugu version of the album titled Mallana. He then went on to sing for a film he was unrelated to, by lending five different voices in "Meghame" for G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer. He has mainly scored music for Tamil, while also doing three Telugu films and a Hindi film...
's album in Madrasapattinam. He sang two further songs under Prakash Kumar for his Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
, singing in the voice of his character, an adult with the maturity of a six year old. Vikram announced his own production company Reel Life Entertainment in July 2009 and announced that Sasikumar
M. Sasikumar
M. Sasikumar is a Tamil film director, actor and producer. He is best known in the Tamil film industry for his debut film Subramaniapuram...
would direct his first film, the action thriller Easan
Easan
-Trivia:Earlier Vikram announced his own production company Reel Life Entertainment in July 2009 and announced that Sasikumar would direct his first film, the action thriller Easan, featuring Samudrakani, Vaibhav, Abhinaya and Aparnaa Bajpai...
, featuring Samudrakani, Vaibhav, Abhinaya
Abhinaya (actress)
Abhinaya is an Indian film actress and model. Despite being hearing and speech impaired, she has played characters that can talk and hear. She made her acting debut in Naadodigal and went on to reprise the role in it's Telugu and Kannada remakes....
and Aparnaa Bajpai
Aparnaa Bajpai
Aparnaa Bajpai is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Tamil language films. She is best known for her role in the 2010 film, Easan, directed by Sasikumar.-Early life:...
. However after 90% of the shoot had been completed, Vikram pulled out of the venture citing that Sasikumar had overshot his budget and the director eventually bought and released the film. Vikram worked as the assistant director under Shafi
Shafi (director)
Shafi is an Indian film director who mainly works in Malayalam cinema, known for his comedy films. He has also directed a Tamil film. The director Rafi of the Rafi Mecartin duo is his elder brother. His well known films include Kalyanaraman , Thommanum Makkalum , Mayavi , and Chocolate...
in Majaa
Majaa
Majaa is a 2005 Tamil film directed by Shafi, starring Vikram, Asin, Vadivelu, Pasupathy, Vijayakumar, Manivannan, Sindhu Tolani, Murali and Biju Menon. The music is composed by Vidyasagar. It tells the story of two adopted children changing from their old, mischievous ways of life...
, and has mentioned he would like to direct a film in the future.
Humanitarian causes
Vikram has promoted various social causes, with several of his charity work being linked to characters he had portrayed in his films. He has been a brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust and a school for special children Vidya Sudha, which he stayed at during the making of Deiva Thirumagal. Moreover he has had a long-term association since the making of his film KasiKasi (film)
Kasi is a 2001 Tamil drama film directed Vinayan which is the remake of the director's 1999 Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum. The film features Vikram in the title role of a blind young villager with Malayali actresses Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri, reprising her role she played in...
with the Kasi Eye Care, which does free eye surgeries for the poor. Vikram has also set up The Vikram Foundation through his fan club to provide heart operations for the poor, educate poor children and rehabilitate victims from natural disasters. Every year Vikram has celebrated his birthday doing charity work across Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and in 2008, he organised a camp where a thousand of his fans pledged their eyes in an eye donation appeal.
He has lent his support for the Chennai-based charity, The Banyan
The Banyan
The Banyan is an organization that cares for and rehabilitates homeless women with mental illness found in the streets of Chennai, India. The organization provides women a safe shelter, care, medical attention, and a supportive environment to enable them to recover and to take responsibility for...
, and appeared in the charity musical Netru, Indru, Naalai
Netru, Indru, Naalai
Conceptualized first in 2000, the original show was supposed to be a one off event in order to help The Banyan raise funds for its building corpus fund...
directed by Mani Ratnam for the cause. The actor also starred in the 2010 "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
"Ek sur" , or "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" as it is better known, is an Indian song and accompanying video promoting national integration and unity in diversity....
" music video on national integration alongside a bevy of Indian actors and musicians, describing the experience as "phenomenal". In 2011, Vikram was selected as a Youth Envoy for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
with his aim being to spread awareness about the statutes of U.N Habitat which include urban stabilisation and to help formulate plans for effective water management, slum eradication and women and youth empowerment. Soon after he announced two further social projects, "Karka Kasadara" and "Patchai Puratchi", with the former being to identify school and college drop outs and help them to stand on their own feet, while the latter was about planting trees with an aim to make Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
go green.
In the media
Since the success of Sethus, Vikram's intense performances and variety of roles has received critical acclaim. His performances as a rogue turned mentally ill patient in Sethu, a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders in Bala's PithamaganPithamagan
Pithamagan is a 2003 Tamil feature drama film directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Surya, Laila, Sangeetha, and Simran. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilayaraaja....
, a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
youth with multiple personality disorder in Anniyan
Anniyan
Anniyan is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Vikram, Sadha, Prakash Raj, and Vivek, while featuring background score and soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released worldwide on 10 June 2005....
and a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
are all roles in which he played a mentally affected man, with Vikram mentioning he does such roles to reinvent himself on screen. Furthermore, Vikram has enjoyed a large fan following in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
as a result of a series of successful dubbed Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
films with Aparichitudu, dubbed from his Tamil film Anniyan, being among the most successful Telugu films of 2005. All his films are thus released in Telugu soon after their original release in Tamil, while Anniyan was also dubbed in Hindi as Aparichit.
He is amongst the most decorated actors in terms of awards in the history of Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
. He holds a National Film Award for Best Actor; a feat only matched by four other actors in Tamil films. Moreover, Vikram holds four Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, with the tally being only second to Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
who has ten wins. In 2010 his film, Raavan
Raavan
Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles...
was promoted at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and then screened at Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Busan International Film Festival. Within weeks of release, Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
was sent to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
after it was nominated by the Film Federation of India and the National Film Development Corporation. Vikram is also a recipient of the Kalaimamani Award
Kalaimamani
The Kalaimamani is an award in Tamil Nadu state, India. These awards are given by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram for excellence in the field of art and literature....
from the Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chennai is the governing authority for the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at the Fort St. George...
in 2004. Other recognitions includes a string of Cinema Express Awards
Cinema Express Awards
Cinema Express Awards are presented annually by Indian Express Group to honour artistic excellence of professionals in the south Indian film industry which comprises Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam film industries. The awards were introduced in 1981...
, Vijay Awards
Vijay Awards
The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has given annually since 2006. The awards are decided by a jury, consisting of noted filmmakers, critics and technicians, while winners in a separate category named "Favourite awards"...
and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards are the most notable film awards given for Tamil films in India. They are given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The awards are decided by a committee headed by...
, including recognition in three different categories. In 2011, Vikram was awarded an honorary doctorate from Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano (People's University of Milan) in the field of Fine Arts. Vikram accepted the title on 29 May 2011 and in his next release, Deiva Thirumagal, he was creditted as Dr. Chiyaan Vikram.
Personal life
Vikram met his wife, Shailaja Balakrishnan, for the first time when he was in crutches, following three years of being hospital-ridden after his broken leg in the late 1980s. Vikram got married to Shailaja in Guruvayoor in an event which saw dozens of other couples get married at the same time at the same place. She originates from ThalasseryThalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and now works as a psychology teacher at a leading Chennai school. Shailaja also worked in the team of Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal
Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
by giving professional advice on how people with special needs are treated and helping develop the characteristics of the character played by Vikram. Vikram's daughter, Akshita, is nineteen and his son Dhruv is fourteen, with Vikram suggesting that his son is a keen actor. He lives in a house near the beach in Besant Nagar
Besant Nagar
Besant Nagar is one of Chennai's well known neighbourhoods, named after the famous lady theosophist Annie Besant, and adjoins the Theosophical Society. The Theosophical Society Headquarters is located here. It was founded in 1875, and is a worldwide body whose primary objective is Universal...
, Chennai and has stated that he would remain based in Chennai regardless of any offers in other regional films.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | En Kadhal Kanmani En Kadhal Kanmani En Kadhal Kanmani is a 1990 film starring Vikram and Rekha in the lead roles. This is the debut film for Vikram. The music was composed by L. Vaidyanathan and the songs were written by Vairamuthu.... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
||
| 1991 | Thanthu Vitten Ennai Thanthu Vitten Ennai Thanthu Vitten Ennai is a 1991 film starring Vikram and Rohini in the lead roles. This was the last film directed by the legend C. V. Sridhar.-Soundtrack:The film had six songs composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja.... |
Raju | Tamil | |
| 1992 | Meera Meera (1992 film) Meera is a 1992 Tamil romance film directed by P. C. Sreeram.It was also his directorial debut. The film stars Vikram and Aishwarya while Poornam Viswanathan, Gandhimathi, Janagaraj, Chinni Jayanth, Tarun played supporting roles. Nassar and Sarath Kumar make cameo appearances. The latter has an... |
Jeeva | Tamil | |
| 1992 | Kaaval Geetham Kaaval Geetham Kaaval Geetham is a 1992 film starring Vikram and Sithara in the lead roles. The music was by Ilayaraja and directed by S. P. Muthuraman-Soundtrack:The film had six songs composed by maestro Ilayaraja. The songs were written by Piraisoodan and Vaali... |
Ashok | Tamil | |
| 1993 | Dhruvam Dhruvam Dhruvam is a 1993 Malayalam action film directed by Joshiy and written by S. N. Swamy and Sajan Babu; starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Gauthami, Tiger Prabhakar, and Vikram in the main roles. The film was among the highest grossing Malayalam films of 1993. The music is composed by S. P... |
Bhadran | Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... |
|
| 1993 | Chirunavvula Varamistava | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
||
| 1993 | Mafia Mafia (1993 film) Mafia is a 1993 Malayalam film directed by Shaji Kailas. Scripted by Renji Panicker, with Suresh Gopi, Janardhanan, Tiger Prabhakar, Babu Antony, Vijayaraghavan, Vikram Kennedy and Geetha in lead roles, this film revolved around Bangalore underworld... |
Harishankar | Malayalam | |
| 1993 | Padhavi Padhavi (Malayalam film) Padhavi is a 1993 Malayalam-language Indian unreleased feature film directed by I.V.Sasi, starring Vikram, Rahman, Jagathy Sreekumar, Jagannatha Varma, Narendra Prasad, Devan, Prathapachandran, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, N. F... |
Malayalam | This is an Unreleased film | |
| 1994 | Sainyam Sainyam Sainyam is a 1994 Malayalam film written by S. N. Swamy and directed by Joshi. It starred Mammootty in the title role and Mukesh, Vikram, Mohini, Priya Raman, and Dileep in other roles.-Plot:... |
Cadet Jiji | Malayalam | |
| 1994 | Bangaru Kutumbam | Telugu | ||
| 1994 | Pudhiya Mannargal Pudhiya Mannargal Pudhiya Mannargal is a 1994 Tamil film directed by Vikraman and music by A. R. Rahman. The film features Vikram and Mohini in the lead roles.,It was a super hit among the audiences and the main highlight was the message delivered in the movie. The movie now is more known for its soundtrack as they... |
Satyamoorthy | Tamil | |
| 1995 | Street | Malayalam | ||
| 1995 | Adalla Majaka | Telugu | ||
| 1996 | Mayoora Nritham | Malayalam | ||
| 1996 | Akka Bagunnava | Telugu | ||
| 1996 | Indraprastham Indraprastham (film) Indraprastham is 1996 Malayalam movie made in India,by Haridas, starring Mammootty, Simran, Prakash Raj and Vikram in the lead roles. Despite being produced at a huge budget, this film was a big flop at the box office.-Plot:... |
Peter | Malayalam | |
| 1996 | Rajaputhran | Manu | Malayalam | |
| 1997 | Ithu Oru Snehagadha | Roy | Malayalam | |
| 1997 | Ullaasam | Dev | Tamil | |
| 1997 | Kurralla Rajyam | Telugu | ||
| 1998 | Kangalin Vaarthighal | Tamil | ||
| 1999 | Housefull Housefull (1999 film) Housefull is a 1999 Tamil film directed by Parthiban. The film stars himself, Vikram and Suvalakshmi in the lead roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja.-Plot:... |
Hamid | Tamil | |
| 1999 | Sethu | Sethu (Chiyaan) | Tamil | Tamil Nadu State Film Special Prize for Best Actor Tamil Nadu State Film Award (Special Prizes) The Tamil Nadu State Film Award are given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.... Filmfare Special Award – South |
| 2000 | Red Indians | Malayalam | ||
| 2000 | Siragugal | Tamil | TV film | |
| 2001 | Indriyam | Udhaya | Malayalam | |
| 2001 | 9 Nelalu | Virendra | Telugu | |
| 2001 | Youth | Babu | Telugu | |
| 2001 | Vinnukum Mannukum Vinnukum Mannukum Vinnukum Mannukum is a love-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Rajakumar. It stars Vikram, Sarath Kumar, Devayani and Kushboo in the lead roles... |
Selvam | Tamil | |
| 2001 | Dhill Dhill Dhill is a Tamil film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram, Laila Mehdin, Nassar and Vivek in critical roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar. The film was a super hit in 2001.... |
Kanagavel | Tamil | |
| 2001 | Kasi Kasi (film) Kasi is a 2001 Tamil drama film directed Vinayan which is the remake of the director's 1999 Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum. The film features Vikram in the title role of a blind young villager with Malayali actresses Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri, reprising her role she played in... |
Kasi | Tamil | Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil |
| 2002 | Gemini Gemini (2002 film) Gemini is a Tamil language film which was released in 2002. It was directed by successful director, Saran and it was produced by the AVM company headed by M. S. Guhan and M. Saravanan. The film starred Vikram and Kiran Rathod in the lead roles with Kalabhavan Mani in a villain role. Kiran Rathod... |
Gemini | Tamil | ITFA Best Actor Award ITFA Best Actor Award The ITFA Best Actor Award is given by the state government as part of its annual International Tamil Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.... |
| 2002 | Samurai | Thiagarajan | Tamil | |
| 2002 | King King (film) King is a love-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Prabu Solomon. It stars Vikram and Sneha in the lead roles. It flopped miserably at the box-office.-Plot:... |
Raja Shanmugam | Tamil | |
| 2003 | Dhool Dhool Dhool is a Blockbuster Tamil film directed by Dharani. As like other Dharani films it is a masala based entertainer. The movie stars Vikram, Jyothika, Reema Sen, Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, Telangana, Pasupathy, Paravai Muniyamma, Mayilsamy, Chitti Babu, Shakeela and Manoj K Jayan. The film's music... |
Aarumugam | Tamil | |
| 2003 | Kadhal Sadugudu Kadhal Sadugudu Kadhal Sadugudu is a romantic-comedy Tamil language movie directed by the Tamil Director Durai, who is also the director of Mugavaree. It stars Vikram and Priyanka Trivedi in the lead roles, with Prakash Raj in the supporting role of Priyanka's father.... |
Suresh | Tamil | |
| 2003 | Saamy Saamy Saamy is a 2003 Tamil film directed by Hari starring Vikram and Trisha. The film's music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. This film was a blockbuster of the year and was a musical hit too... |
Aarusaamy | Tamil | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil |
| 2003 | Pithamagan Pithamagan Pithamagan is a 2003 Tamil feature drama film directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Surya, Laila, Sangeetha, and Simran. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilayaraaja.... |
Chitthan | Tamil | National Film Award for Best Actor National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories... Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.... |
| 2004 | Arul Arul -Box office:The film opened in 170 screens throughout Tamil Nadu. It was a below average grosser in spite of Vikram's star power and such a big release.-Trivia:... |
Arulkumaran | Tamil | |
| 2005 | Anniyan Anniyan Anniyan is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Vikram, Sadha, Prakash Raj, and Vivek, while featuring background score and soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released worldwide on 10 June 2005.... |
Ramanujam (Anniyan/Remo) | Tamil | Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil Asianet Special Honour Jury Award |
| 2005 | Majaa Majaa Majaa is a 2005 Tamil film directed by Shafi, starring Vikram, Asin, Vadivelu, Pasupathy, Vijayakumar, Manivannan, Sindhu Tolani, Murali and Biju Menon. The music is composed by Vidyasagar. It tells the story of two adopted children changing from their old, mischievous ways of life... |
Arivumathi | Tamil | |
| 2008 | Bheema Bheema -Box office:In its opening week, the film grossed a record of 19 crores in Tamil nadu and fetched a record 5 crores in Thiruvarur alone, thus becoming the second biggest opening after Sivaji at that time. The film debuted at number one position at the Chennai box-office and grossed 58 lakhs in the... |
Sekhar | Tamil | Nominated—Vijay Award for Favourite Hero Vijay Award for Favourite Hero The Vijay for Favorite Hero is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:* 2006 Ajith Kumar * 2007 Rajinikanth - Sivaji**Ajith Kumar - Billa**Suriya - Vel... |
| 2009 | Kanthaswamy | Kanthaswamy | Tamil | Nominated—Vijay Award for Favourite Hero Vijay Award for Favourite Hero The Vijay for Favorite Hero is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:* 2006 Ajith Kumar * 2007 Rajinikanth - Sivaji**Ajith Kumar - Billa**Suriya - Vel... |
| 2010 | Raavan Raavan Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles... |
Dev Pratap Sharma | Hindi | Nominated—Stardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow – Male Nominated—Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 2010 | Raavanan | Veeraiya | Tamil | Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil Vijay Award for Best Actor Vijay Award for Best Actor The Vijay Award for Best Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films. It was given from the second ceremony onwards.-Winners and nominees:*2007 Sathyaraj - Onbadhu Roobai Nottu... |
| 2011 | Deiva Thirumagal Deiva Thirumagal Deiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other... |
Krishna | Tamil | |
| 2011 | Rajapattai | Anal Murugan | Tamil | Filming |
| 2012 | Karikalan Karikalan (film) Karikalan is an upcoming Tamil-language action film directed by L. I. Kannan featuring Vikram and Zarine Khan in the lead roles. The film which has been reported as a "period cum contemporary drama" is likely to release in 2012.-Cast:* Vikram... |
Karikala Chola Karikala Chola Karikala Chola or Karikala Chozhan was one of the great Tamil kings of Early Chola during the Sangam period. He was the son of Ilamcetcenni and ruled around 270 BC.... |
Tamil | Filming |
| 2012 | Thaandavam Thaandavam Thaandavam is an upcoming Tamil action film directed by A. L. Vijay. The film will feature Vikram, Anushka Shetty and Amy Jackson co-starring lead roles. It is produced by UTV Motion Pictures and features background score and soundtrack composed by G. V... |
Shiva | Tamil | Pre-production |
External links
|-! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | National Film Award
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