Double impact

In fact,it was Ratnam’s idea for Vikram to play two different roles in the two versions of the same film. “I’d been offered the role of Veera in the Tamil film first,but then Mani sir suggested that I also play Dev in his Hindi film. He asked me to seriously consider it since no one has ever done this before,” he says,before adding with some satisfaction,“I think I’ve done justice to both the roles. The initial feedback is tremendously positive. In fact,people can’t believe that’s me delivering my dialogues in Hindi.”

Vikram will be familiar to most Hindi moviegoers as the troubled protagonist of the 2005 film Anniyan,dubbed in Hindi as Aparichit. Although that movie didn’t fare well in Hindi,Vikram considers it a personal success. “It got me recognised in the North. In fact,I’ve met people who loved it so much that they’ve watched it 50 times or more. But I don’t think people will recognise me as the same fellow from Aparichit,” grins the 44-year-old,referring to the over-the-top makeup he donned for that role.

The national-award winning actor’s presence in the Mani Ratnam film has already generated a lot of buzz. Part of it could be due to his reputation as a thorough and professional actor.

Upon meeting him in the flesh though,one can see that a lot of his appeal lies in his easy charm and rugged good looks. Yet,most of the posters and rushes of the Hindi film focus more on his co-stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan,so it’s easy to suppose that the Southern actor’s role is a marginal one there. He counters: “Beera needs a buffer,which is Dev— without one,the other cannot be recognised for what he is. In fact,the two men are like two ends of a scale,with Ragini—Aishwarya’s character—being the fulcrum.” But he tactfully adds,“Of course,since Beera is the titular Raavan,you’ll see a lot more of him.”

But crossing over to Bollywood will not be easy — Vikram will face stiff competition from other Southern stars trying to move into Bollywood,like Suriya,Sudeep and Rana Daggubati. Even previously,of all the South Indian actors who tried to make the transition,only Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth could be said to hold any recall value with the average Hindi moviegoer,whereas actors like Mohanlal,Siddharth,Vineeth and Nagarjuna made only the shallowest of impressions. On the other hand,actresses have had a much easier time—from Sridevi to Divya Bharati and recently,Asin. Vikram explains the phenomenon,“Most movies in India center around the hero. When a South Indian actress acts in a Hindi movie,she is usually picked for her glamour quotient. I cannot expect to replace an Aamir Khan or a Salman Khan here,but an Asin will be able to make the transition because she’s not replacing them,but acting opposite them. Besides,we already have a massive fan base in the South,and it’s not something one would want to jeopardize by moving into a new region.”

With his first move towards Bollywood made,Vikram is waiting to gauge the audience’s reaction. “I’m not worried about the Tamil version. This is the first time that Bollywood audience will see me acting in a Hindi film. This is my chance to figure out what makes them tick.”