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Cinema Plus
Captain rules
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Arasangam has restored Vijayakanth’s glory at the box-office. sudhish kamath talks to the actor about his forthcoming films, politics and more
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Arasangam may well be a sleeper hit that has restored his glory at the box office but Vijayakanth simply hasn’t found the time to watch the film himself. Captain needn’t worry. The film is likely to stay on for a few weeks.
“I only saw the rushes while dubbing. It’s come out well. And it’s doing good. The distributors have already made their money,” he says, like it was no big deal.
“It would’ve been a bigger hit if I had the time to promote the film properly but I’ve been busy with my political appointments and I’m trying to fit everything into a day.”
He admits he has been away from films for a while but he has two films in the pipeline, Engal Aasan and the other that’s yet to be announced officially.
How do you make Die Hard, Flight Plan or a Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu for the mass Tamil audience? You’ve got to watch Arasangam.
In fact, unlike Raghavan (in Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu) who uses his instinct while on the hunt for serial-killers, Captain as Arivarasu uses his ‘arivu’, the best of criminology practices (which he teaches students at the Police Training College) and methodology to solve the mystery of an investigating officer who disappears into thin air. The man who boards the flight is not found when the plane lands.
Since such sorcery can only be countered by magic, Captain is clearly the man for the job. Only that Captain’s superhero profile in the modern day context requires him to fight terrorists. Arasangam is about a criminologist’s journey in getting to the root of the “undeclared war” by terrorist networks around the country.
“Terrorism is a product of unemployment, corruption and poverty,” says Vijayakanth. “The forces at work exploit this situation to involve the country’s youth. It needs to be controlled.”
But Captain does not believe in using cinema to further his political ambitions. “That would be propaganda and films with political messages will put the distributors at risk. I cannot do that,” he says.
“When Ulagam Suttrum Vaaliban released, it ran into problems. There was a lot of pressure from the Censors, the distributors and other parties,” explains Captain.
No punch-lines
Arasangam does not have any punch-lines and though you may miss out on the “If electricity touches Narasimha, the current will get the shock” kind of dialogue, it still wears the Captain charm.
“What I feel and tell my directors, sometimes, is incorporated in the film. I do not ask them to do it. But cinema is the platform to spread a good message to the people.”
Both his heroines in Arasangam are fiercely independent workingwomen, a far cry from the chauvinist Tamil film prototypes. “Isn’t it a good thing that women are independent,” he asks. “But again, this film required these characters. In Vikraman’s Engal Aasan, the heroine plays a Chairman. I play a bank officer.”
Captain’s probably played a cop in more films than any Hollywood action hero. “But there has to be variety. That’s why this time I am a criminologist fighting terrorism.”
How does he feel about comparisons with MGR and Superstar? “MGR is my ‘manasika guru’ and I follow his path. Since I also have his advisors, they see we have the same thoughts for people. And Rajnikant… I don’t talk about him and he doesn’t talk about me. We have never interfered with each other’s business.”
He’s keen not to mix cinema with politics. Or even politics within the industry. “Market forces will dictate how much a star can charge for his work. Let the work speak.”
Favourite films
Thoorathu Idimuzhakkam
Sattam Oru Iruttarai
Vaidehi Kaathirundhal
Chatriyan
Captain Prabakaran
Chinna Gounder
Oomai Vizhigal
Ramana
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