Actor Vikram stunned his fans when he appeared on stage in a werewolf costume at the audio launch of upcoming Tamil movie I in Chennai on Monday. He also performed a song with co-star Amy Jackson.
“I was getting ready in this costume since 4pm. It takes so much time to put on the make-up. The entire process takes about four hours every time,” Vikram told reporters.
Weta, a New Zealand-based visual effects company, was responsible for creating Vikram’s werewolf look.
“The team at Weta needs to be specially thanked. They would treat this as art, and patiently look into the smallest detail in the make-up process. From my hair to fingernails, they looked into everything and ensured that it all looked good,” he said.
This was Vikram’s first public appearance in two years since he started working on the film. “I had to completely stay disconnected from the outside world since my roles demanded it. I’m standing in front of my fans almost after two years. They’ve been patiently waiting for this day,” he said.
Physical transformation
Vikram has undergone a physical transformation for I. “I had to gain as well as lose weight for my characters in the film. For one of the roles, I lost over 30kg. It was very challenging,” he added.
South Indian superstar Rajinikanth praised Vikram, saying no actor went to such great lengths to get into the skin of a character.
“Vikram has dedicated his life for this film. Hats off to his commitment. I don’t think you could find an actor who has sacrificed so much for a character in Indian cinema as well as Hollywood. I wish the film all success,” Rajinikanth told reporters at the event.
Rajinikanth also gave credit to director Shankar for I, a film in the making for over two years. “What do I say about Shankar? It’s been two decades since he entered the Tamil film industry. He’s climbing up with every film. I will take him to the pinnacle. But I know this won’t be the end because he will continue making films that will supersede his own work,” he said.
“He’d always complain that why can’t we make films on par with Hollywood. His aim has always been to take Tamil cinema to global standards. He does all this not just for money, but also for his passion for cinema,” he added.
The movie, which is expected to hit the theatres during Diwali, also features Malayali actor Suresh Gopi and Bollywood actor Upen Patel.
