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He comes from a privileged background for his parents, S. A. Chandrasekhar and Shobha, are producers, directors and writers in their own right. So when he joined films it was through his home production. His parents were not initially happy with their son’s decision to take up acting as a career. Vijay recalls how he had to leave home to prove a point. Even then the going was not easy. The critics didn’t take to him kindly in his first film. It was sheer determination and hard work that has helped Vijay carve out an enviable slot for himself. And when Vijay got married to Sangitha, the fan who stayed on to become his wife, rumour-mongers started spreading vicious gossip. That Sangitha had a child from an early alliance and that Vijay had committed suicide. Vijay then had cut short his honeymoon and arranged a press meet. "We are blissfully happy. Nothing is wrong with out marriage. I winder why the press doesn’t clarify the matter with the concerned people," said he.
This was
the second important press meet the actor had arranged to set
matters right. The earlier one was when he had had an accident
while performing a stunt scene in ‘Priyamudan’. As he
was recuperating from a back injury, rumours spread in the press
about how his career was kaput, and that he had better pack his
bags and leave. It was also written that Vijay was in love with a
co-star and that his parents had kept him under house arrest. A
visibly hurt Vijay, normally a reserved, restrained person had
then met the press promptly. With a chit in his hand, and still
not completely recovered, the actor had then point by point
refuted the various allegations against him. The press sure knows
how to bring a shy-with-the-press actor out in the open and on
the defensive!
Vijay – Face to Face
Q: You come from a privileged background. Your entry must have been very easy.
Vijay: Since my parents were in films, no doubt I had an easy entry. But even if my father had not introduced me I would still have entered the line. I had a lot of confidence in my ability to deliver the goods if given the chance. Only thing is that it would have taken me a few more years to make my entry.
Q: Who was your inspiration, which actor attracted you?
Vijay: I had no role model as such. Every artiste has his own plus ad minus points. An artiste only in a particular scene or when he is good at a certain point inspires me. Like Vijaykant’s fight scenes. He does it so well and such scenes inspire me. Or a scene where dialogue has to be thrown in a very taunting, irreverent way. There is no one to beat Satyaraj in that. So I do take inspiration from them, and then work it out in my own style.
Q: How do you choose your roles? The director/banner matters to you?
Vijay: The director, banner is secondary to me. My first priority is the story. Only if I like it, do I go into the other aspects, like the director, heroine, banner, etc. I have worked in new banners and under new directors when their stories had interested me.
Q: How do you rate yourself as an actor?
Vijay:
People do appreciate my fights, my performance, though I myself
don’t feel I have achieved much. I’ll give myself ten
marks out of hundred if I rate myself.
Q: Are you still interested in doing two-hero subjects? You were reportedly put off by your early experiences.
Vijay: I have no hassles doing a film with another hero. Provided the subject interested me and the role was good.
Q: After Rajinikant and Kamal you are the one in the next enviable position. How do you feel about it?
Vijay: I fell very happy. And grateful to all those distributors and producers who have put their faith in me. But comparing me with Rajini and Kamal… I feel a little embarrassed by it. They have achieved so much. I still have a long way to go.
Q: How do you manage to stay away from scandals?
Vijay: There is no conscious strategy. But I as a newcomer did face this in my earlier days. Gossips about my affair with some heroine. But I didn’t react to them then and they died a natural death.
Q: You are supposed to be one of the highest paid stars. What have you to say about the skyrocketing star price?
Vijay: It was after ‘Kadhalukku Mariyadhai’ that these rumours started that I was charging astronomical rates. I want to clarify here that I have not entered this field for money. I am the only son, and my parents have made enough, and I don’t have to struggle and earn my bread. I want to earn popularity, fame, and audience approval. Money is only secondary.
Q: Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Vijay: My father - in all respects, personally and professionally, he has been the greatest influence in my life.
Q: But it’s said that
he was a little overprotective about you.
Vijay: Nothing of that sort, I should say. Being their only son, it was but natural that they be concerned about me. But they never forced their ideas or opinions on me that would have stifled my growth.
Q: Talent, hard work and luck. Which do you consider as the most important for an artiste’s career?
Vijay: Talent and luck I would rate at 50-50 for an artiste’s growth. Hard work is necessary no doubt. But without luck and the talent to back you up, all the hard work would go waste.
Q: Negative criticism, how does it affect you?
Vijay: I don’t take it very seriously. But there was a time when a part of the media, was very harsh on me. When I had that problem with my back and was recuperating. They said that that was the end of me. There were other nasty rumours too. So I make it a point to clarify my stand with the press. They have been to a large extent instrumental in my success and have supported me all along. But that’s all a thing of the past and I hold no grudge.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
Vijay: I have worked hard to reach this position. I have to maintain it. I have to work on how I should consolidate it. I cannot afford to be complacent, for it is a competitive field. I cannot let down my fans, who have put so much faith in me and my producers who have staked so much money on me. The respect and popularity that I have earned is tremendous. I try to do a variety of roles today. But I have realised that at the international level it is the action hero who commands more clout. So whatever roles I do today, I will definitely do at least one action oriented role a year.
Q: You did start as an
action hero. Somewhere along the way you changed track.
Vijay: It is true. Then came ‘Poove Unakkaga’ where I had this soft role. The film and my role were appreciated. Then, all the films that came my way were similar ones. I did do ‘Selva’ an action oriented film. It didn’t do well, so people never knew about it. My next success was again in a soft romantic role, ‘Love Today’. So people got this general impression that I was doing only the softer kind of roles. That was the reason I chose an anti-hero subject like ‘Priyamudan’.
Q: How do you react to success and failure?
Vijay: I react the same way to both success and failure, because these things are not in our hands. I do my part to the best of my ability. The rest is in the hands of the audience So, I don’t worry much when my films flop nor get unduly excited when they are successful.
Vijay’s forthcoming films are ‘Khushi’ where he is paired with Jotika. Produced by A. M. Ratnam (Indian, Kadhalar Dinam) this film is lavishly budgeted. S.J. Surya (of ‘Vaali’ fame directs it. Another film on the floors is ‘Udaya’ starring him and Simran. It has music by A. R. Rehman. Produced by V. Natarajan, it is directed by Azhagar Perumal. And there is the Fazil directed ‘Kannukkul Nilavu’ where Vijay is teamed again with Shalini. Vijay feels it’s a challenging role like the one he had in the director’s earlier film ‘Kadhalukku Mariyadhai’.
Here’s wishing Vijay all the
best for the new millennium!
Malini Mannath