Kollywood’s suave villain, model-actor Vidyut Jamwal, talks to Srinivasa Ramanujam about his role in Anjaan, his favourite Chennai hangout and being vegetarian
When Vidyut Jamwal walked into a packed Sathyam theatre on Tuesday morning, he heard a roar. A song from Anjaan was being screened and the crowd went bonkers seeing their favourite star, Suriya, and him, on screen. And when Vidyut went on stage and the anchor introduced him as the one who starred in Thala Ajith’s Billa 2, the cheers were deafening.
For this handsome hunk, the Chennai filmi experience is a first. And he loved every minute of it. “It was great,” he says, seated comfortably in his room at a star hotel, “I can see how people here are responding to me and my films. They recognise me and appreciate my work.”
They should. After all, he’s already had films with the three top stars in Kollywood — Ajith, Vijay and Suriya — in Billa 2, Thupakki and Anjaan respectively. “I’m lucky to have worked with all these superstars,” he says, “Ajith is such a charmer. Suriya is intense. And Vijay is a real fun-loving guy.”
His upcoming Tamil release, Anjaan, sees him playing a different role, something that he’s not done before. So, how did he land it? “I’d gone to an awards function and met Lingusamy at the post-event party. He said that he’d been following my work and wanted to cast me. I thought he was telling me that just out of courtesy. We didn’t even exchange numbers, actually.”
But in a few days’ time, he got a call from the makers and soon enough, he was in Chennai to audition for the role. “That was my first audition actually,” he guffaws, “He (Lingusamy) made me react to a whole set of situations.” That’s because Vidyut isn’t playing the villain in this film, but a role that is still under wraps. “You could say Suriya and I are ‘partners in crime’,” is all he’s willing to reveal at the moment.
He might be known as a hotshot villain in K-town, but back in Mumbai, Vidyut is popular for being one of the few actors who practises martial arts extensively. He’s an active practitioner of kalaripayattu. “Sometimes, people don’t know what kalari is and how it can help you,” he rues. But he’s all praise for silambam, a martial art form that has been extensively showcased in films. “I’ve watched MGR’s films in which he performs silambam…they’re so good.”
His everyday routine begins quite early, for he starts training as early as 6 a.m. His stunt team comprises even slum kids interested in action. “If I find talent on the street, I just pick them up. We train together and my team even consists of a vada-pav seller and a plumber.”
Those are the people who worked extensively on his Hindi film, Commando, which featured some adrenaline-pumping stunts. “I never use any graphics or special effects for the stunts. As I’m trained in martial arts, it’s easy for me to perform them,” says the actor, who was declared ‘PETA India’s Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity’ last year.
Vidyut has been a vegetarian for almost 12 years now. “I used to eat everything and suddenly, one day, I turned vegetarian,” he recalls, “There was no particular reason. But I could feel a sea change in the way I thought after that. My body too was in perfect shape after that. And cognitively, I’ve grown a lot since I turned vegetarian.”
His next projects include Yaara, which features Shruti Haasan, and a film on the life of Bodhidharma. “I’m playing Bodhidharma and we’re trying to work out my look for the film,” he reveals, “I’ve seen Suriya playing the character in 7aum Arivu but our film will have a different take on the Buddhist monk, who was born in Kancheepuram but went on to become a well-known name in China.”
In Chennai, when he isn’t promoting his films or busy with events, the actor makes it a point to visit the IIT campus. “I always go there when I come to the city,” he says, “I’ve a friend there and the campus is so serene and lovely. And, there’s a certain energy about the students that’s so infectious.”