Vikram (Actor)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vikram

• Vikram grew up in Chennai.

  

• His father left his home to become an actor but only got supporting roles instead of leading roles. His father’s struggle inspired him to become an actor.

• Up to class 8, he was good at studies. He then started developing more interest in films after which his grades in school started declining. ^[4]Rediff

  

• In his teens, he started his training in karate, swimming, and dancing. He used to participate in various extra-curricular activities as he used to believe that it would help him in making his acting career.

  

• While in school, he used to assist in the backstage work of his school’s theatre club. He got the opportunity to play the lead role in a school play when the lead actor of the play was diagnosed with chicken pox.

• After completing school, he wanted to try his luck in films. However, his father wanted him to complete his higher studies.

• While in college, he joined the dramatics club and performed in various theatre plays like The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy for which he received the Best Actor award.

  

• After he won the Best Actor Award at IIT Madras, he met with an accident. His motorcycle was hit by a truck after which he suffered leg injuries. He was in hospital for around three years. He had around 23 surgeries. During this phase, he became friends with Shailaja (his wife).

• After recovering from his injury, he completed his final year of college.

• He then started his career as a model and appeared in various TV commercials like Chola Tea, TVS Excel, and Alwyn watches.

  

• In 1988, he appeared in the Tamil TV serial ‘Galatta Kudumbam,’ which aired on Sun TV. Simultaneously, he was pursuing an MBA. When he was in the final year of his MBA, he got an offer for his first Tamil film.

• He was also offered the role played by Arvind Swami in Mani Ratnam’s film Bombay, but he refused because he had to shave his beard, which he could not do as he was working in some other film and could not change his look.

• In 1999, he came into the limelight with the Tamil film ‘Sethu.’ He played the role of Sethu (Chiyaan) in the film and after the release of the film, his fans started calling him Chiyaan. He shaved his head, lost 21 kg of weight, and grew long nails for his role in the film.

  

• He has appeared in various Malayalam films like ‘Mafia’ (1993), ‘Sainyam’ (1994), ‘Indraprastham’ (1996), ‘Mayoora Nritham’ (1996), and ‘Indriyam’ (2000).

  

• Vikram has dubbed for South Indian actors in various South Indian films like ‘Ennamo Nadakkuthu’ (1993), ‘Paasamalargal’ (1994), ‘Raasaiyya’ (1995), ‘Ini Ellam Sugame’ (1998), and ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’ (2000).

• Vikram has also acted in a few Telugu films such as ‘Chirunavvula Varamistava’ (1993), ‘Bangaru Kutumbam’ (1994), ‘Ooha’ (1996), ‘9 Nelalu’ (2000), and ‘Youth’ (2001).

  

• He has also appeared in ‘Chinna Chinna Aasaigal – Aarambam’ (1995; Tamil TV series) and ‘Siragugal’ (2000; Tamil TV film).

• Vikram has lent his voice to many Tamil songs like “O Podu” from the film ‘Gemini’ (2002), “Meghame O Meghame” from the film ‘Madrasapattinam’ (2010), “Maria Pitache” from the film ‘David’ (2013), “Pudhu Metro Rail” from the film ‘Saamy Square’ (2018), and “Theesudar Kuniyuma” from ‘Kadaram Kondan’ (2019).

• He has acted in many popular Tamil films including ‘Saamy’ (2003), ‘Pithamagan’ (2003), ‘Iru Mugan’ (2016), ‘Ponniyin Selvan: I’ (2022), and ‘Ponniyin Selvan: II’ (2023).

  

• He once shared that his role as Chithan (gravedigger) in the 2003 Tamil film ‘Pithamagan,’ was one of the toughest roles of his career.

• In 2005, he played the role of Ramanujam (Ambi) (Remo/Anniyan) a split personality for which she received appreciation from the audience and critics. The film was later dubbed in Telugu as ‘Aparichithudu’ and in Hindi as ‘Aparichit: The Stranger.’

  

• In 2010, he was featured in the national integration music video “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.”

• He has sung various Telugu songs like “Kadha Cheputhane” & “Pa Pa Pappa” from the film ‘Nanna’ (2011) and “Laddu Laddu” from the film ‘Veedinthe’ (2011).

  

• In 2012, for his role as a blind man in the Tamil film ‘Thaandavam,’ he did his training under human echolocation specialist Daniel Kish.

• In the same year, he was featured in a few Tamil music videos like “One – The Unity Song” and “Vanakkam Vaazhavaikum Chennai.”

  

• In 2013, he appeared in the Hindi film ‘David’ as David (Sakku/Kirku Santa).

• For his 3 different looks in the Tamil film ‘I’ in 2015, he shaved off his head and lost 25 kg of weight. For his one look, he had to build a body like a bodybuilder.

  

• For his role as a developmental disability person in the Tamil film ‘Deiva Thirumagal’ (2011), he spent time with mentally challenged people for a month to get into the character.

• He is the brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust, Vidya Sudha (special children school) and also supports The Banyan charity.

• He has been supporting various social welfare programmes like the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Kasi Eye Care, and Spirit of Chennai.

• He has also started his NGO named Vikram Foundation.

• He has appeared in TV commercials for various brands like Big Deal TV, 3 Roses, Manappuram Gold Loan, Coca-Cola, and Josco Jewellers.

• He once shared that he disliked his name, and he decided to use his screen name as Vikram; “Vi” from Victor (his father’s name) “K” from Kennedy, “Ra” from his mother’s name and “M” from his sun sign, Aries (mesh in hindi). ^[5]The Times of India

• His fans often consider him Christian Bale (Hollywood actor) of South India for his body transformation for various roles in his films. ^[6]Hindustan Times

• He has also worked as an assistant director in a few films.

• In 2012, his Tamil film ‘Raavanan’ became one of the first Indian films to be dubbed in German. ^[7]Hindustan Times

• He is an avid animal lover and owns a few pet dogs named Akki and Leo.

  

• In his leisure time, he enjoys travelling.

  

• Once, he used to be a chain smoker.

• He has been featured on the cover of various magazines like Southscope, Jade, Malaysian Cine, and Galatta Cinema.

  

• In 2016 and 2018, he was listed in Forbes Top 100 Indian celebrities list.

• In 2017, he said something about the Indian actor Rana Daggubati in a media interaction which Rana didn’t like. Later, Vikram apologised to him.

• He regularly works out at a gym to maintain his fitness.

  

Deiva Thirumagal