Vijay Sethupathi has a knack of choosing scripts that have box office potential. Yet, the string of hits he gives has little effect on him. His recent movie Kavan directed by K.V. Anand is doing well in the box office.
Sethupathi’s upcoming Vikram Vedha is a neo noir action crime thriller film written and directed by Pushkar and Gayathri, where he co-stars with R. Madhavan in lead role. Shraddha Srinath, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Kathir and John Vijay also play supporting roles. Produced by Sashikanth, the film is about an encounter cop and his pursuit of a gangster. Madhavan dons the role of a cop while Vijay Sethupathi plays the gangster. The film is inspired by the folk tale of Vikramaditya. The main characters are derived from the tale. “It is fun to work with Madhavan sir. He is very spontaneous. We have released the song Tasakku, Tasakku , which has already caught the imagination of the people,” he says.
Ask him what he looks for in a script? “The story is important for any movie. For, it is in the film industry, the consumer pays the money before he or she gets the product. So, the responsibility of delivering a good product is on us. Audience come with expectations and our job is to engage them for two hours. We take efforts to make the story more interesting and also present it in such a way that it is liked by all the audience,” he says.
“I never take credit for my movie’s success. I am the face of the movie but there are numerous unsung heroes behind the scene. From the director, cameraman and editor to the light boy, everyone knows how difficult it is to satisfy the audience,” he adds.
Sethupathi does not believe in home work before the shot. “We react to situations and I exactly do that in my films. If I prepare in before, my actions will look laboured and not spontaneous. I enter the sets with an open mind and learn from my work. When you are spontaneous the audience connect is maximum,” he says.
Sethupathi is also very clear in choosing his directors. “You can gauge a person from the way he narrates the story.”
He admits that he is in awe of his directors and their ability to conceive scenes. “Directors are the fulcrum of the movie. They guide us well, not merely rein actors in. Whenever we stray, they bring us back on track,” he says.
Sethupathi’s calendar is full with back-to-back movies Karuppan , an action thriller film written and directed by R. Panneerselvam and Oru Nalla Naal Parthu Solren - comedy drama film written and directed by Arumuga Kumar.
He joins the Naduvula Konjam Pakkattha Kanom -fame director Balaji Tharaneetharan for Seethakathi , which will be his silver jubilee film in the industry. It is a story about the art and the life of a stage performer. Sethupathi plays the role of Ayya, the main character. The film is sprinkled with humour. He pairs with Trisha in the film titled 96 .
Sethupathi’s unconventional approach and versatility have made him the toast of tinsel town.
