Vikram (actor)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kennedy John Victor (born 17 April 1966), better known by his stage name Vikram, is an
Indian actor The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
and
playback singer A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
who predominantly works in
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
and has also acted in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
and
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
films. He is among the most decorated actors in Tamil cinema, with awards including seven
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, a
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
and a
Tamil Nadu State Film Award Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were 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 aw ...
. Amongst his other honours include the
Kalaimamani The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of ...
Award from the
Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
in 2004 and an honorary doctorate by the Popular University of Milan in May 2011. Vikram is the first actor from India, to receive the Doctorate in the history of the European Universities, in acting. Based on the earnings of Indian celebrities, Vikram was included in the '' Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list for 2016 and 2018. Vikram debuted with '' En Kadhal Kanmani'' (1990) followed by several language films. He found his major breakthrough playing a rogue-turned-lover in Bala's tragedy film '' Sethu'' (1999) and next appeared in hit films like ''
Dhill ''Dhill'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram and Laila, while Ashish Vidyarthi, Nassar and Vivek play supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar, wh ...
'' (2001), ''
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...
'' (2002), ''
Dhool ''Dhool'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram, Jyothika and Reema Sen. Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, Telangana Shakuntala, and Pasupathy, among others, play important roles. Produced by ...
'' (2003), ''
Saamy ''Saamy'' ( God) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action masala film written and directed by Hari. The film was presented by K. Balachander and produced by Pushpa Kandasamy under banner Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Vikram and Tris ...
'' (2003), ''
Anniyan ''Anniyan'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by V. Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The plot centres on a disillusioned everyman whose frustration at what he see ...
'' (2005), '' Raavanan'' (2010), ''
Deiva Thirumagal ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'' (2011) and ''
Iru Mugan ''Iru Mugan'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science-fiction spy action thriller written and directed by Anand Shankar. Produced by Thameens Films, the film stars Vikram in double role alongside Nayanthara, Nithya Menen, Nassar, Thambi Ram ...
'' (2017). He also earned wider critical acclaim for diverse roles of
disadvantaged The "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who: * Face special problems such as physical or mental disability * Lack money or economic supportKingdom of Nepal: Economic and Social Inclusion of the Disadvantaged Poo ...
people in ''
Kasi KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format. The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...
'' (2001), ''
Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
'' (2002) and '' Pithamagan'' (2003); the lattermost won him the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
. Vikram's highest-grossing releases came with '' I'' (2015) and '' Ponniyin Selvan: I'' (2022). Vikram has promoted various social causes and appeared as the Youth Envoy for the
United Nations Human Settlements Programme The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlem ...
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. In 2016, he produced and directed the video to the flood relief anthem, Spirit of Chennai, as a tribute to the city's volunteers following the 2015 South Indian floods.


Early life and family

Vikram was born as Kennedy John Victor on 17 April 1966 to a Christian father and a Hindu mother. His father, John Victor (alias
Vinod Raj Vinod Raj is an Indian actor known for his work in Kannada cinema. He worked with actors such as Ambareesh, Arjun Sarja, Ramesh Arvind, Srinivas Murthy. In 2009, he released his album named ''Bhaktanjali'', which cons ...
) was a native of Paramakudi and ran away from home to start a career in films, but worked only in minor roles. Vikram's mother, Rajeshwari, was a government officer who reached the rank of sub-collector. Rajeshwari was born in a Hindu family with film connections. Her brother,
Thiagarajan Thiagarajan Sivanandam (born 21 June 1946) is an Indian actor, director and producer in Tamil cinema. Beside Tamil, he has also acted in several Malayalam and Kannada films and a few Telugu films. He is the father of Tamil actor Prashanth and t ...
, is an established director-actor in the Tamil film industry; he is the father of actor
Prashanth Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
, in this way, Vikram and Prashanth are first cousin. Vikram has two siblings, both younger to him. His brother, Arvind, appeared in the low-budget Tamil film, ''Eppo Kalyanam'' (2022). His sister, Anitha, is a teacher. Vikram's father, Vinod Raj, was a small time actor who did not fare successfully in films and only managed to act in supporting roles in Tamil films and television serials. This inspired Vikram to take theatre lessons and become professionally trained in classical and cinema dance forms to ensure that he became a leading actor. Vikram decided to use a screen name because he disliked his original name, Kennedy, and he also felt that such a foreign name was not a fit name for an actor in Tamil films. He took the name Vikram (a Hindu name) which means "man who does great deeds." In one interview, he said that he was also inspired to take the name because it was a mixture of several names dear to him: "Vi" from his father's name (Vinod), "K" from Kennedy, "Ra" from his mother's name (Rajeshwari) and "ram" from his sun sign,
Aries Aries may refer to: *Aries (astrology), an astrological sign *Aries (constellation), a constellation of stars in the zodiac Arts, entertainment and media * ''Aries'' (album), by Luis Miguel, 1993 * ''Aries'' (EP), by Alice Chater, 2020 * "Aries" ...
. Vikram was educated at
Montfort School, Yercaud Montfort School, Yercaud is a co-ed secondary school run by the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel in the town of Yercaud, near Salem in Tamil Nadu, India. The school motto is ''Virtus Et Labor'', which translates to "Virtue and Labor". The co ...
(a boarding school in a hill station near Salem) and graduated in 1983. He has mentioned that he used his opportunities at school well by taking part in karate, horseback riding and swimming and noted that such early exposure to activities gave him confidence as a youngster. Vikram lurked in the fringes of the school's theatre club for a long period and often took part in backstage work before being handed the lead role in a school adaptation of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
's '' The Doctor in Spite of Himself'' after the original lead had contracted chicken pox. Despite expressing his interest to join films after school, his father forced him to go through education and Vikram subsequently graduated from
Loyola College, Chennai Loyola College is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1925 by the French Jesuit priest, Francis Bertram, along with other European Jesuits. It is an auto ...
with a degree in English Literature and worked halfway towards an MBA programme. Through the prolific dramatics club, Vikram appeared in stage productions including college adaptations of ''
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, '' The Caine Mutiny''. Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ...
'' and
Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (; 15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He wrote numerous award-winning plays, of which several were adapted into films. Early life Shaffer was born to a Jewish family in L ...
's ''
Black Comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
'', receiving best actor awards for his performances. After winning a Best Actor Award at a function held at
IIT Madras Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is a public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), it is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and has be ...
, Vikram was hit by a truck during a ride on his motorbike on the way home and suffered a serious leg injury. He remained hospital-ridden for three years during college and subsequently went through twenty-three surgeries to prevent his leg from being amputated. Vikram then returned to finish the final year of his degree after his accident and secured permission to finish his dissertation at home, as he was only able to walk on crutches for a short period.


Acting career


1990–1998

Vikram began his professional career by modelling in advert films for brands including Chola Tea, TVS Excel and Alwyn watches as well as appearing in a six episode television serial titled ''Galatta Kudumbam'', which aired between November and December 1988. During the final year of his M.B.A programme at Loyola College, he was recognised by the film industry, with veteran director
C. V. Sridhar Chitthamoor Vijayaraghavalu Sridhar (22 July 1933 – 20 October 2008) was an Indian screenwriter and film director. He has directed nearly 60 films in Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi language, Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu Languages. Ea ...
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 ''Thanthu Vitten Ennai'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film starring Vikram and Rohini. This was the last film directed by C. V. Sridhar. It was released on 21 June 1991. Plot The story revolves around two graduates Raja ...
'', opposite Rohini being his next release. He then signed on to be a part of cinematographer
P. C. Sriram P. C. Sreeram ISC (born 26 January 1956) is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works in Indian films. He is also the president of Qube Cinemas, a digital cinema technology company. He is an alumnus of the Madras Film Institute. A ...
's college love story ''
Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...
'', with high expectations, however, the three films failed to launch his career. His appearances in ''Meera'' and in ''
Kaaval Geetham ''Kaaval Geetham'' () is a 1992 Tamil-language romantic action film directed by S. P. Muthuraman, starring Vikram and Sithara. The film was released on 14 February 1992. Plot Priya is a crime journalist. She is investigating the rape and mu ...
'', with another veteran director S. P. Muthuraman, helped him secure film offers from the
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
and
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
film industries. In 1993, he almost signed on to appear in
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
's ''
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
'' and featured in the initial photo shoot alongside
Manisha Koirala Manisha Koirala (; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepalese actress who works in Cinema of India, Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films and has also worked in few Telugu language, Telugu, Bengali language, Bengali, Mala ...
. 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 Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
films by appearing with
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
,
Suresh Gopi Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
and
Jayaram Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasiona ...
in
Joshi Joshi is a surname used by the Brahmin (caste) in India and Nepal. Joshi is also sometimes spelled as Jyoshi. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Jyotishi'' meaning "astrologer" or a person who practices ''jyotisha''. ''Jyotisha'' refers ...
's successful action film ''
Dhruvam ''Dhruvam'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Joshiy, where story and dialogue are by S. N. Swamy and A. K. Sajan and screenplay by S. N. Swamy. It stars Mammootty, Jayaram, Suresh Gopi, Vikram, Gautami ...
'', before teaming up with Gopi again for
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with ma ...
's ''
Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
'', which explored Bangalore's criminal underworld. Furthermore, Joshi cast him again alongside Mammootty in the action drama ''
Sainyam ''Sainyam'' is a 1994 Malayalam-language film written by S. N. Swamy and directed by Joshi. Starring Mammootty, Mukesh, Priya Raman, Mohini, Vikram, Dileep and Sukumaran in main roles. The film score and soundtrack were composed by S. P. Venkate ...
'' 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 Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...
's eldest son in the family drama ''
Bangaru Kutumbam ''Bangaru Kutumbam'' ( ''Golden Family'') is a 1994 Telugu-language drama film, produced by Kaikala Nageswara Rao under the Ramaa Films banner, presented by Satyanarayana and directed by Dasari Narayana Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao an ...
'', with both films failing to give him a breakthrough although the latter was a box office success. A brief return to Tamil films also proved unsuccessful, with his role in
Vikraman Vikraman is an Indian film director primarily working in Tamil cinema. Career 1990–1994 He worked as an assistant to actor and director R. Parthiban in ''Puthiya Pathai'' (1989), which was the latter's debut film as a director and an actor. ...
's multi-starrer ''
Pudhiya Mannargal ''Pudhiya Mannargal'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Vikraman with music by A. R. Rahman. The film stars Vikram and Mohini. The movie's score and soundtrack are composed by A. R. Rahman. The film did not perform well com ...
'', with music composed by
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
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 played the lead role in the Malayalam film ''Mayoora Nritam'' directed by
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 Cri ...
's and even played villain in ''Street'' opposite
Babu Antony Babu Antony (born 22 February 1966) is an Indian-American actor and martial artist, who works primarily in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in several Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Sinhalese, Hindi and English films. He started his career doing a ...
and lead roles in the small budget Telugu films ''
Adalla Majaka ''Aadaalla Majaka'' is a 1995 Indian Telugu-language romantic film written by and directed by Muthyala Subbaiah. The film stars Vikram, Ooha, and Ali in the leading roles, while Sudhakar plays a supporting role. Plot The plot revolves arou ...
'' and Sriraj Ginne's '' Akka! Bagunnava?''. He collaborated again with Mammootty in '' Indraprastham'' and Suresh Gopi in ''Rajaputhran'', before appearing in his first lead role in Malayalam with ''
Itha Oru Snehagatha ''Itha Oru Snehagatha'' () is a 1997 Indian Malayalam language, Malayalam romance film, written and directed by Captain Raju. The film stars himself, Vikram (actor), Vikram, and Laila Mehdin, Laila in the leading roles. It was dubbed and relea ...
'' opposite Laila. Vikram signed
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
's first Tamil language film production, ''
Ullaasam ''Ullaasam'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language romantic film directed and co-written by the duo J. D. and Jerry and produced by actor Amitabh Bachchan. The film featured Ajith Kumar, Vikram and Maheswari with Raghuvaran, S. P. Balas ...
'', which also featured Ajith Kumar and
Maheswari Maheswari is an Indian former actress, who appeared predominantly in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Tamil cinema, Tamil language films. She was one of the leading actresses in Telugu and Tamil films from 1994 to 2000. She appeared alongside major ...
. The big budget film created anticipation prior to release, but was average run 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 (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
musical '' Kangalin Vaarthaigal'', before playing a short role in
Parthiban R. Parthiban (born 14 October 1958) is an Indian actor and filmmaker who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He has directed 15 films, produced 13 films and acted in more than 70 films. He started his career as assistant director for K. Bhagyaraj in ...
's critically acclaimed film '' Housefull''. During his struggling phase, Vikram dubbed for other heroes in films including voices for
Prabhu Deva Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed a ...
in '' Kaadhalan'', Ajith Kumar in '' Amaravathi'' and Abbas in ''
Kandukondain Kandukondain ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'' (also released internationally under the translated title ''I Have Found It'') is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon. Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel '' Sense ...
'' respectively. Vikram has mentioned that he did not look down on dubbing and saw it as a "dignity of labour". During the period, he also attended dancing classes every day, and tried acting out different scenes and different characters with his small group of friends. He began to turn down chances to play supporting roles in films and was intent on making a breakthrough as a lead actor and notably turned down the role of Swarnamalya's fiancée in Mani Ratnam's ''
Alaipayuthey ''Alai Payuthey'' ( ) is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, co-produced and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Madhavan (in his Tamil debut) and Shalini. The film explores the tensions of married life between two young p ...
''. Vikram also rejected approaches from television serial producers, citing that working in television would reduce his chances of becoming a mainstream actor. He also refused opportunities to take part in film events as a backing dancer, with actor
Sriman Sriman () is an epithet of the Hindu deity Vishnu. It refers to the deity being the possessor of Sri, both referring to his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, as well as the material and non material aspects of fortune. Literature Sri ...
revealing that Vikram was "one amongst not many" who was not interested in travelling to Canada to participate in such shows.


1999–2001

In 1997, debutant director Bala offered him the role of the rogue Sethu (Chiyaan), in the film '' Sethu''. To prepare for the character, Vikram shaved his head, lost twenty-one kilograms and grew his nails long for the role. After beginning production in April 1997, the film went through
development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
after industry strikes and lack of funds hampered progress. During this phase, he did not accept other acting offers to maintain the continuity of his looks. The film then struggled to find a distributor, who shunned it due to the tragic climax and the film remained unreleased. Vikram described the period of production as "the worst phase of his career" as he was financially strapped and "his fire was in danger of dying down". He turned down an opportunity from a friend to take up a job in technology and attempted to stay in the industry by directing a serial titled ''Mounam Pesiyadhey'', with Ameer as his assistant director. ''Sethu'' finally released in December 1999 and initially began running at a single noon show at a suburban theater, but gradually gained an audience through word-of-mouth publicity. Eventually, it ran for over one hundred days at several cinema halls across
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. Vikram was constantly being mobbed by people on the streets as a result of the film's success. Critics praised Vikram's performance with a reviewer referring to Vikram as "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 Malaysian daily
New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...
, 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 The Filmfare Special Jury Award is given by the ''Filmfare Magazine'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for South Indian films. It was decided on 17th Annual Filmfare Awards and started from 20th Annual Filmfare Awards held in 1973. It ...
and the
Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize Recipients Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. * The year mentioned refers to the year in which the films released. This is the list of Winners of Jury's Special Award See also * Tamil cinema * Cinema of Indi ...
for his portrayal of the title character, while reports emerged that he missed out on the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
by a single vote to
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
. Post-''Sethu'', Vikram has said that the film would have been close to him regardless of its 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 ''Indriyam'' is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language horror film directed by George Kithu. The film is about a group of college friends who go into a haunted forest, with Vani Viswanath, Vikram, Nishanth Sagar, Boban Alummoodan And Lena appeari ...
''. He also played a leading role in ''
Siragugal ''Siragugal'' () is an Indian Tamil-language drama film written by Raadhika, produced by Kalanithi Maran, and co-directed by Manobala and Raadhika. Set in London, the film stars Raadhika and Vikram, while Devan plays a supporting role. It was ...
'', a rare Tamil telefilm produced and featuring
Raadhika Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Media ...
, which was shot entirely in the suburbs of London. Furthermore, he also completed two Telugu films during the period; ''
9 Nelalu ''9 Nelalu'' or ''Tommidi Nelalu'' () is a 2000 Telugu-language drama film directed by Kranthi Kumar. The film stars Soundarya and Vikram. The film opened to positive reviews from critics. The film was later re-shot and released in Tamil as '' ...
'' and ''Youth''. ''9 Nelalu'' featured Vikram as the husband of the character played by
Soundarya K. S. Sowmya (18 July 1972 – 17 April 2004), better known by her stage name Soundarya, was an Indian actress who worked predominantly in Telugu films and has also worked in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam films. She was regarded as one o ...
, who faces the challenges of being a surrogate mother. The film won positive reviews, with a critic mentioning that Vikram gave a "controlled performance" while Vikram's newfound popularity in Tamil films saw the film dubbed into Tamil soon after as ''Kandaen Seethaiyai'', with an inserted comedy track by comedian
Vivek Vivek (or Bibek/Bivek in some regions) (विवेक in Devanagari script) is a masculine given name that is popular in South Asia, particularly in India and Nepal. It is of Sanskrit origin and means "wisdom" and/or "conscience". Vivek may refe ...
. His next release was Rajakumaran's '' Vinnukum Mannukum'', alongside
Sarath Kumar Sarathkumar Ramanathan (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, politician, filmmaker, and singer. He has acted in more than 130 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He has won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards S ...
,
Khushbu Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
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. His next film was ''
Dhill ''Dhill'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram and Laila, while Ashish Vidyarthi, Nassar and Vivek play supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar, wh ...
'', where 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'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' 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 T. G. Vinayakumar (born 16 May 1957), professionally credited as Vinayan, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and lyricist, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and occasionally in Tamil cinema. Early life Vinayan is from ...
's ''
Kasi KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format. The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...
'' 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 describing it as an "extraordinarily detailed performance" and that "as the blind singer, he brings laughter, tears and a lump in one's throat".


2002–2003

The following year, Vikram went on to play the title role in Saran's ''
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...
'', produced by
AVM Productions AVM Productions is an Indian film production studio founded by A. V. Meiyappan. It is the final oldest survived studio in India. The filming studios are located in Vadapalani, Chennai. It has produced over 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, M ...
, his first big-budget film in the Tamil industry, 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 Ramani Bharathwaj known professionally as Bharadwaj is an Indian music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, predominantly known for his work in Tamil cinema. He is trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music and is a ...
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 is an Indian director of Tamil films. He is best known for directing the 2004 film, ''Kaadhal''. Career Balaji Sakthivel began as an assistant director to S. Shankar. In 2002, he directed his first film, ''Samurai (2002 film), ...
's ''
Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
'' was his next release, featuring him as a vigilante
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
-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'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' gave 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 Prabhu Solomon (born 7 May 1969) is an Indian film director who has primarily worked on Tamil films. After making his debut in 1999, he had a middling career before rising to prominence with the success of the romantic tragedy film ''Mynaa'' (2 ...
's ''
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
'', a drama film which featured him alongside Sneha and
Nassar Nassar ( ar, نصار, lit=helper, protector, supporter, victory-maker), is a given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. Alternative spellings of this name, possibly due to transliteration include Naser, Nasser, Nasir, Naseer ...
. Vikram played Raja, a magician, who is unaware that he has been diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
, 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 Dharanis ( IAST: ), also known as ''Parittas'', are Buddhist chants, mnemonic codes, incantations, or recitations, usually the mantras consisting of Sanskrit or Pali phrases. Believed to be protective and with powers to generate merit for the B ...
's ''Dhill'' resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre; ''
Dhool ''Dhool'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by Dharani. The film stars Vikram, Jyothika and Reema Sen. Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, Telangana Shakuntala, and Pasupathy, among others, play important roles. Produced by ...
'', which also featured
Jyothika Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress, model and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films.
,
Reemma Sen Reema Sen (born 29 October 1981) is an Indian actress and model who primarily appeared in Bengali theatre films, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films. Early life and education Sen was born in Kolkata on 29 October 1981. She completed high school fro ...
and
Vivek Vivek (or Bibek/Bivek in some regions) (विवेक in Devanagari script) is a masculine given name that is popular in South Asia, particularly in India and Nepal. It is of Sanskrit origin and means "wisdom" and/or "conscience". Vivek may refe ...
. 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 (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...
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'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Durai and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy. The film stars Vikram, Priyanka Trivedi, Prakash Raj, and Vivek. The music was composed by Deva with ...
'', with
Priyanka Trivedi Priyanka Upendra (née Trivedi) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Kannada Language films. Early life Priyanka was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Her mother is from West Bengal and father from Uttar Pradesh. She spent ten yea ...
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. After release, Vikram was critical of the film's failure, confessing that the story "underwent a lot of changes after the initial narration", lamenting that he was "taken for a royal ride" by the producers. Vikram was then signed on by
K. Balachander Kailasam Balachander (9 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an Indian film maker and playwright who worked mainly in the Tamil cinema. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, and the Indian film industry knew him as a master of un ...
to appear in his banner's biggest production until date, ''
Saamy ''Saamy'' ( God) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action masala film written and directed by Hari. The film was presented by K. Balachander and produced by Pushpa Kandasamy under banner Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Vikram and Tris ...
'', directed by
Hari Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
. Vikram played Aarusaamy, an honest cop working in
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
, 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. 70 million in 10 days in Tamil Nadu, while also taking the largest opening of the new millennium in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, 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 Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
claiming that Vikram had "succumbed to the superstar image trap", but is the "mainstay of the picture".


2003–2009

Later that year, he starred in Bala's '' Pithamagan'', along with
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numerou ...
, 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 ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' 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 The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
, with the latter accolade making him only the third Tamil actor to win the award. His next release was the revenge drama ''
Arul Arul may refer to: People Given name * Arul Chinnaiyan * Arul Kanda Kandasamy * Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician * Arul Pragasam * Arul Ramadas, Indian politician * Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician * Arul Suppiah (born 1983), Malays ...
'', directed by
Hari Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
. The film received mixed to positive reviews. and moderate box office collections. Vikram signed on to feature in the action thriller ''
Anniyan ''Anniyan'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by V. Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The plot centres on a disillusioned everyman whose frustration at what he see ...
'', directed by prominent director
Shankar Shankar may refer to: People * Shankar (name), including a list of people with the name * Sankar (writer) (Mani Shankar Mukherjee), Bengali writer * L. Shankar, Indian violinist *S. Shankar, Indian film director commonly credited as Shankar * San ...
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 (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. The di ...
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 263.8 million, and was released across India with 400 prints. ''Anniyan'' took an "extraordinary opening", and went on to become a blockbuster grossing more than Rs. 1 billion through the original and two dubbed versions. Vikram's performance was unanimously praised, with a reviewer from
Sify Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
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 is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, with Vikram adjudged Best Actor. Later in the year, he signed and completed
Shafi The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...
's comedy film with
Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...
, ''
Majaa ''Majaa'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language masala film directed by Shafi, starring Vikram, Asin, Pasupathy, Vadivelu, Anu Prabhakar, Vijayakumar, Manivannan, Murali and Biju Menon (in his Tamil debut). The music was composed by Vidyasagar. It ...
'', in less than five months. The film which also featured
Pasupathy Pasupathy (born 5 September 1967) is an Indian actor. He appeared in critically acclaimed roles in many noted films in Tamil cinema, playing supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles. His performance in '' E'' (2006) ear ...
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 and 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 ''Kanthaswamy'' is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language superhero film written and directed by Susi Ganesan, starring Vikram as the titular character, with Prabhu, Shriya Saran, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Krishna Ghattamaneni and Vadivelu fo ...
'', directed by
Susi Ganesan Ganeshan Subbiah known as Susi Ganesan is an Indian film director, producer, scriptwriter and screenwriter. Early life Ganesan was born on (25 August 1969) Vannivelampatti, Madurai District in Tamil Nadu to Tamil parents Subbiah and Sittamma. ...
and also featuring
Shriya Saran Shriya Saran Bhatnagar (; born 11 September 1982) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi-language films. Although Saran aspired to become a well-known dancer, she became an actress with her film debut in 2001 ...
, became the first superhero film in Tamil cinema, with Vikram being featured as a vigilante dressed as an anthropomorphic rooster, Kokorako and a CBI Officer. ''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 Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
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 characters 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. 370 million, including Rs. 160 million 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.


2010–2014

Vikram then featured in
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
's bilingual films '' Raavanan'' and ''Raavan (2010 Hindi film), 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 Sukumaran, 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 that 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 that 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 200 million. The Tamil version, ''Raavanan'' won rave reviews from critics, with ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' calling it a "master stroke" and claiming that 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 an "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 Actor – Tamil, 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, writing for ''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, writing for 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. After two years of discussions, Vikram began a film under the direction of Selvaraghavan in a project dubbed by the media as ''Sindubad''. The film began shoot and completed a schedule by early 2010 in the Himalayas with Swati Reddy appearing as the female lead. However, the film was reported to be momentarily shelved and subsequently never took off again after the producer Singanamala Ramesh walked out. Vikram then agreed terms to feature in Vikram Kumar's ''24'', produced by Mohan Natarajan, with Ileana D'Cruz signed on to play the female lead role. The film progressed briefly with shots being canned in caves, before the director was ousted from the project, cancelling the film. Vikram then also shot briefly for a third successive shelved project directed by Boopathy Pandian for the same producer, featuring him in the role of an investigative cop; however the film failed to progress and instead Natarajan financed Vikram's next film. His 2011 release ''
Deiva Thirumagal ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'', 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". However, Vikram once again completed a sweep of the top acting awards that year, with further recognition at the Vijay and Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare Awards. Vikram next featured in ''Rajapattai'' (2011), alongside Deeksha Seth, under the direction of Suseenthiran, where he played a henchman trying to get a break in the Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics in December 2011 and performed below expectations at the box office. Vikram also completed half of a fantasy period film during 2011, ''Karikalan'', in which he played Karikala Chola, a Tamil king who ruled in 270 BC, opposite Zarine Khan, under the direction of graphics director Kannan, but the film was later shelved owing to production troubles. He then appeared in his second project with director A. L. Vijay, Vijay, portraying the lead role of a blinded Research and Analysis Wing, RAW agent in the action-thriller, ''Thaandavam''. The film, which also featured Anushka Shetty, Amy Jackson and Lakshmi Rai in pivotal roles, opened to mixed reviews in September 2012. For his role of a blind man, Vikram trained under noted human echolocation specialist Daniel Kish, with the latter also playing a cameo in the film. A critic from Sify.com noted that it was "Vikram and him alone who diverts your attention from the film's little logical script flaws and spellbinds you with an endearing act that is Thaandavam's biggest strength"; subsequently, the film did average business commercially. The actor was next seen portraying the title role in Bejoy Nambiar's Hindi-language film ''David (2013 film), David'' playing out a love story between a careless drunkard fisherman and a mute girl played by Isha Sherwani. The film won mixed reviews and performed average business at the box office. The film was also released in Tamil.


2015–present

Vikram signed on to collaborate again with
Shankar Shankar may refer to: People * Shankar (name), including a list of people with the name * Sankar (writer) (Mani Shankar Mukherjee), Bengali writer * L. Shankar, Indian violinist *S. Shankar, Indian film director commonly credited as Shankar * San ...
for '' I'', a romantic thriller opposite Amy Jackson, in early 2012. Following hushed production developments, it was revealed that the actor would sport four significantly different looks in the film: a body builder, a beast, a model and a hunchback. He put on weight to portray the bodybuilder, sticking to a diet of protein and coffee, to ensure his muscles were defined on screen. Vikram subsequently lost weight to portray a model, before shaving his head and reducing his weight to 56 kilograms to portray the crippled hunchback. He changed his physique by eating small meals of egg whites and apples instead of regular food intakes, while engaging in an intensive weight loss regime to become thin. The cast and crew of the film reportedly struggled to recognise the actor at times, while he also stayed away from the media for close to a year when sporting the look. Taking almost three years for production, Vikram described the film "as the toughest he has ever done" and regularly suffered folliculitis as a result of the prosthetic make-up he had to wear. The film opened amidst much expectation in January 2015 to mixed reviews, though critics gave Vikram's portrayal of Lingesan, unanimously positive reviews. A critic from Times of India noted: "Vikram bowls you over with a heart-wrenching performance whether he is handsome or disfigured", while The Hindu added his transformation was "laudable", and that "Vikram wins hearts as the earnest-to-boot gym rat and as the strapping new model on the block, he floors the audience with his performance as Koonan, the deformed hunchback". Similarly, Rediff.com noted the actor "is truly impressive and deserves much applause", while Sify.com added he "lived the role". Despite mixed reviews, ''I'' performed well at the box office, as well as becoming the most successful Tamil film of all time in Kerala. By early 2015, it was the List of highest-grossing Tamil films, sixth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time at the time. He then worked on Vijay Milton's road-thriller, ''10 Enradhukulla'' (2015), which featured him as an unnamed race driver who goes on a road trip through India. Paired opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Samantha, the film opened to mixed reviews and did not perform well at the box office. A critic from Sify.com however, noted that Vikram "breathes life to his role and his energy level is highly infectious", adding that "the way he smiles, dances and fights is a treat for his fans". Likewise, a critic from The Hindu criticised the film's script, adding that "it's hard to see Vikram in this fluff". Vikram later appeared in ''
Iru Mugan ''Iru Mugan'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science-fiction spy action thriller written and directed by Anand Shankar. Produced by Thameens Films, the film stars Vikram in double role alongside Nayanthara, Nithya Menen, Nassar, Thambi Ram ...
'' (2016), a science fiction action film directed by Anand Shankar, featuring him alongside Nayanthara and Nithya Menen. His next films are ''Sketch (2018 film), Sketch'' (2018) directed by Vijay Chandar followed by ''Saamy Square'' (2018) directed by
Hari Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
. In 2022, Vikram appears in ''Mahaan (2022 film), Mahaan'' as Gandhi Mahaan, along with his son Dhruv Vikram. It released on 10, February in Amazon Prime Video. He also signed his 58th film with R. Ajay Gnanamuthu as the director who is known for his work in ''Demonte Colony''. The film was titled as ''Cobra (2022 film), Cobra'' and was released on 31 August 2022. The film received mixed reviews from critics. His most recent role was Aditya Chola II, Aditya Karikalan in
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
's film ''Ponniyin Selvan: I, Ponniyin Selvan'', which released on 30 September 2022. It is the first Tamil film to release in IMAX format.


Other work


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 (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
Bharathwaj Ramani Bharathwaj known professionally as Bharadwaj is an Indian music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, predominantly known for his work in Tamil cinema. He is trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music and is a ...
's music for Vikram's 2002 film ''
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...
'', 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 ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'', singing in the voice of his character, an adult with the maturity of a six-year-old. In 2011, he sang the song "Laddu Laddu" for his film ''Rajapattai'', under composer Yuvan Shankar Raja's direction. Vikram announced his own production company Reel Life Entertainment in July 2009 and announced that M. Sasikumar, Sasikumar would direct his first film, the action thriller ''Easan'', featuring Samudrakani, Vaibhav, Abhinaya (actress), 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. The actor, however, was later listed as one of the three producers for the Tamil version of the 2013 film, ''David'', thereby making his debut in film financing. Vikram has also worked as the assistant director under
Shafi The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...
in ''
Majaa ''Majaa'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language masala film directed by Shafi, starring Vikram, Asin, Pasupathy, Vadivelu, Anu Prabhakar, Vijayakumar, Manivannan, Murali and Biju Menon (in his Tamil debut). The music was composed by Vidyasagar. It ...
'', and has mentioned that he would like to direct a film in the future.


Philanthropy

Vikram has promoted various social causes with several of his charity works 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, where he stayed during the making of ''Deiva Thirumagal''. Moreover, he has had a long-term association since the making of his film ''
Kasi KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format. The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...
'' 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 The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlem ...
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 dropouts and help them to stand on their own feet, while the latter was about planting trees with an aim to make
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
go green. In 2016, he produced and directed the video to the flood relief anthem Spirit of Chennai, as a tribute to the city's volunteers following the 2015 South Indian floods.


In the media

Vikram is a prolific method actor, being often compared akin to Hollywood's Christian Bale. Since the success of '' Sethu'', Vikram's intense performances and variety of roles have received critical acclaim. His performances as a rogue turned mentally ill patient in '' Sethu'', a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorder in Bala's '' Pithamagan'', a Brahmin lawyer with multiple personality disorder in ''
Anniyan ''Anniyan'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by V. Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The plot centres on a disillusioned everyman whose frustration at what he see ...
'' and a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in ''
Deiva Thirumagal ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'' are all roles in which he played a mentally affected man, with Vikram mentioning that 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 Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
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 has also enjoyed success in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, where his films have demanded large box office openings akin to Malayalam film stars. In 2004, Vikram participated in a live stadium stage event organised by producer P. L. Thenappan titled "Vikram Mega Nite". The event, held in Singapore, attracted several hundreds of his South East Asian fans and was held in the form of a stage musical. Vikram's pan-Indian popularity has also prompted him to be regularly considered for brand endorsements. In 2005, he was signed as Coca-Cola's brand ambassador in Tamil Nadu. He has been the ambassador for Brooke Bond 3 Roses, Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Ltd and Josco Jewellers since 2010. In 2015, Vikram has endorsed Big Deal TV, a celebrity-driven home shopping channel. He is amongst the most decorated actors in terms of awards in the history of
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
. He holds a National Film Award (India), National Film Award for Best Actor; a feat only matched by four other actors in Tamil films. Moreover, Vikram holds seven
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, with the tally being only second to Kamal Haasan who has ten wins. In 2010 his film ''Raavan (2010 Hindi 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 ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'' 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 The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of ...
Award from the
Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
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 di Milano, 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 credited as Dr. Chiyaan Vikram.


Personal life

Vikram met Shailaja Balakrishnan in the late 1980s and married her in 1992 at Guruvayoor Temple in a mass wedding alongside dozens of couples. The pair then had a low-key wedding ceremony conducted at the church at
Loyola College, Chennai Loyola College is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1925 by the French Jesuit priest, Francis Bertram, along with other European Jesuits. It is an auto ...
. She hails from Thalassery, Kerala and now works as a psychology teacher at a leading Chennai school. Shailaja also worked with the team of ''
Deiva Thirumagal ''Deiva Thirumagal'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language melodrama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by M. Chinthamani and Ronnie Screwvala that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally disabled adult with the matu ...
'' by giving professional advice on how people with special needs are treated and helping develop the character played by Vikram. The couple has a daughter Akshita born in 1993 and a son Dhruv born in 1995. His daughter married Manu Ranjith, the great-grandson of M. Karunanidhi, on 30 October 2017. He lives 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. His son Dhruv made his debut with ''Adithya Varma'' in the year 2019 which was the Tamil remake of the Telugu film ''Arjun Reddy''.


Awards and nominations


Filmography


Discography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vikram 1966 births 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Best Actor National Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Indian male film actors Indian male voice actors Living people Loyola College, Chennai alumni Male actors from Chennai Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Malayalam cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Telugu cinema Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award South Indian International Movie Awards winners Tamil male actors Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners Tamil playback singers Telugu male actors University of Madras alumni