In a chat with DC, Vishal, for the first time, opens up about his possible entry into politics. “I believe that ‘change’ is the only constant thing. Like others, I won’t say ‘if God’s willingness is there’ or stuff like that. My straight-forward answer is, yes, if the need arises, I’ll come to politics. There’s nothing wrong in it. In fact, people in power have approached me to join them in the past. At the same time, I’m not nurturing a secret ambition to get there or consider politics as an alternative career,” the actor affirms.

Delving more into the topic, he says, “If the current crop of politicians do well and continue to do good for the public, people expect the basic necessities and amenities to be given out to them — be it a ration card, education and medicine. But nothing is coming to them easily. If they (politicians) do their job, why ask actors like me if we would enter the field?”

The actor in Thupparivaalan.

He adds, “It’s a question of certain things that can be accomplished only by politicians, and that’s why they have been voted into power. Today you can’t hoodwink any youngsters or anyone for that matter. Again, if they think they can give freebies and garner votes, the success rate is less.”

On the FEFSI tussle, he clarifies, “We still stick to our stand on hiring whomsoever we want — and those who want to work with us from FEFSI can do so. It will be sorted very soon!”

Prasanna and Vishal from Thupparivaalan.

Moving on to film talk, the Avan Ivan star says shooting for Thupparivaalan was a gratifying experience.

“The film is a detective thriller, something on the lines of Sherlock Holmes. It’s like Jai Shankar’s Tamil and Krishna’s Telugu detective movies. Perhaps, this is even a first-of-its kind in Tamil cinema! Even though people might say it’s a rip off of Sherlock Holmes, they would still love the content. The ways he solves the case was very interesting. And for the first time, I have acted in a film sans songs. I am happy that this film has been worthwhile for me, both as a producer as well as an actor.”

Praising director Mysskin, Vishal states, “It’s a killer film, which I’ll surely watch again and again in my home theater! Mysskin brings out the rawness of a human being through his films. The character Kaniyan Poongundran that I play is not a normal person — he’s eccentric. I’m glad it fell on my lap at the right time. Lots of people told me that Mysskin is egoistic, slightly psychotic, and things like that — but, I didn’t go with any preconceived notions. People even said that Bala sir and Hari are tough taskmasters. But only when you work with them, you’ll know they are flexible. The best part is that he (Mysskin) has not seen any film of mine till date! He wanted me to look stylish and had his own ideas for the character. So, I went to him as a blank sheet.”

Vinay

There’s hardly any routine romance segment in it, he reveals — “Kaniyan doesn’t know how to express romance, and Anu Emmanuel plays a pickpocket! So, the romance between the lead pair is being portrayed in Mysskin’s own way. There are only two romantic scenes in the second half throughout the entire film.”

Vishal also talks about his other co-stars, “Prasanna is there throughout the film; he plays a role akin to Dr Watson from Sherlock! The film begins with Simran’s character and she plays a crucial extended guest role, which has come out very well.”

Talking about some intriguing segments in the film Vishal recalls, “The climax action block was extremely tough. The final battle between Vinay and I is at the tail end of the film — it will be a visual treat for the audiences. Other actors too faced challenges. The trouble that Andrea went through was unimaginable! I don’t think any actress would have put up with so much of difficulty for the love of filmmaking. The terrain was rough and marshy. Hats off to her hard work! Neeraj, son of Ajay Ratnam, also part of the film, unfortunately drank the muddy water and it went into my system as well. In another scene, my hands and legs were tied and it was really difficult. I noticed that Mysskin started tweaking the shot to ease out my difficulties. But I didn’t budge an inch and pulled it off!”

Talking as the producer of the film, he asserts, “I spend whatever a scene demands, but the amount has to be informed well in advanced. For the crucial Chinese fight sequence, the sets alone cost a bomb! I treated the fight like a song and spent so much on it. Likewise, the background score by Arrol Corelli is brilliant and a part of the composition is currently going on in Greece with a symphony team.”

On his next outing, Vishal says that his milestone 25th film Sandakozhi 2 is going to bespecial — “Lingusamy and I are coming together after 13 years and are putting our hearts and souls into it. Keerthi Suresh is the female lead. I’m looking forward to working with her.”

On a concluding note, he shares, “Life has taught me not to listen to those who talk behind your back —which I was used to at one point of time! But now, I want to stick to my decisions and go according to my gut feeling. I stay grounded and I have learnt the art of being patient. I won’t say I have mastered it, but I have seen the results of it at all times. I listen to others’s opinions and ideas. It is they who are telling me that I’m getting better with each day!”