I don’t feel the need to rush after delivering hits: Vikram Prabhu

CHENNAI: As Ponniyin Selvan 2 is on the threshold of collecting Rs 200 crore at the Indian box-office, actor Vikram Prabhu, who plays Parthibendra Pallavan in the magnum opus is being lauded for his performance in the second part of the film. Playing a character with different shades, Vikram Prabhu has out shined some of his colleagues in the multi-starrer. “Mani sir has justified each and everything he told me while he told me that I would be playing the Pallava king in Ponniyin Selvan. He told me that my character arc would have a complicated thread which will lead to what happens with Parthiba in the end.,” says the actor.

Vikram Prabhu elaborates and talks about his on screen camaraderie with Aditha Karikalan (played by Vikram) and laughs when asked about falling into Nandini’s (played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) trap. “Who doesn’t? She is Aishwarya Rai. However, Parthibendran being a king himself looks up to Aditha Karikalan. He learned the nuances of war from Karikalan but I had to bring out the king in me when someone threw a challenge at me. So, I had to underplay myself a lot of times when I am with Karikalan, who is short tempered and not in the right state of mind,” he tells us.

He is one of the few artists on the sets of PS to be appreciated by Mani Ratnam. “I incorporated a few of my own improv. For instance, the swinging of the sword when I came back from Lanka and the emotion I came up with when I had a conversation with Vikram inside the tent, are things I did on the spot. Mani sir walked inside the tent and gave me a fist bump. The crew was surprised by his gesture,” he smiles.

Vikram Prabhu has a promising lineup with Raid produced by Muthaiah and Irugapatru directed by Yuvaraj and produced by Dream Warrior Pictures. It is a crafty film. Irugapatru is Yuvaraj’s third film and undoubtedly his best work. The film has Shraddha Srinath in another lead role. Yuvaraj confessed that I am his favourite character in the film. Raid is a high-octane action flick and then there is the long-awaited Paayum Oli Nee Enaku. These movies have me in a different character arc and are well-written,” adds the actor.

With films like Vaanam Kottatum, Ponniyin Selvan and Taanakaaran, Vikram Prabhu has been making the right choices. Despite successes, he is not in a rush to sign films. “At the PS-2 audio launch, Rahman sir spoke about the word ‘comeback’. That has now become the trend while addressing a person from the film industry. When people can use that word with someone like AR Rahman, we are no exception. All said and done, the audience remembers us for our last work. Obviously, they feel betrayed when they spend money and time watching a film and it doesn’t turn out to be a good movie. Sometimes, I don’t feel like talking about my film if it hasn’t come out the way I expected it to be. So, there is no harm in taking time in signing the right project and identifying the right team, who can execute a film the way it is on paper. I can give my 100 per cent but the onus is on the right team to give a good output. I have always been a slow and steady guy and I don’t mind taking time in making myself happy with good scripts. When I started off, I had five hits in a row. My hits didn’t make me happy but my failures annoyed me because I did not give the nod to something that went out of my hand. It’s okay to take time and commit projects,” he concludes.