Vikram: I couldn't believe I did a film with Kamal sir, says Narain

In conversation with Narain, who's basking in the success of Vikram, which hit the screens on June 3.

Kamal Haasan-Narain; a still from Vikram

Narain, who played inspector Bejoy in Vikram, is elated about the response to the Kamal Haasan-starrer, which is still going strong in theatres. “The audience has been lovely,” he smiles.

Narain, who made his acting debut with Mysskin's Chithiram Pesuthadi in 2006, couldn't believe he did a film with Kamal Haasan. “I entered acting only because he influenced me. Otherwise, I would have not been into films. At the audio launch of Vikram, I mentioned that whatever success I get, I owe it to Kamal sir. For me, I was doing a film with him and that is it.”

Starring in Vikram is like a dream come true for Narain. When Lokesh Kanagaraj called him, the actor didn't ask what it was for, or who was doing what. “Nothing mattered to me, because it is Kamal sir's film. A fine cast performing in a mass-market film is a rare combination. The icing on the cake was, a fanboy directing his mentor, and I could be a part of it. I'll always be grateful to Lokesh for having offered me Vikram.”

Narain is all praise for his director, Lokesh Kanagaraj. “He doesn't have any airs about him. I hope he stays grounded this way, always. Lokesh's attention to detail in his characters is outstanding. He describes the character's background and uses it to explain why the character acts the way he does in the present. As an actor, that gives you the assurance that you're working with a director who understands what he's doing.”

It seems that the khaki never lets Narain go, from 4 the People (2002) to Vikram (2022). Narain has only done a few cop roles, but he keeps getting offers. A lot of them came after Kaithi, he observes. “Perhaps I should hold a press conference to clarify that I am no longer interested in cop roles. Malayalam gives me much better variety, but Tamil is still beyond my grasp. The image is more relevant here. My next film is Kural. My character is autistic in this murder mystery. I hope that it will be my most challenging role to date!”

The jailbreak sequence was the first scene Kamal Haasan and Narain shot together. “Kamal sir throws his watch at me during that scene. When we finished, I told him that it would have just been like any other scene to you, but for me, the watch represented time. It was like someone saying to me, ‘Let the good times begin’.”

Reflecting on his 20-year journey, Narain says, there have been some bad decisions on his part, but he cannot blame anyone. “I must have been a little more choosy when I started. Also, I regret not doing films, which were offered by big banners. There had been times I had returned the advance for many reasons. I should have done them anyway as films involving big production houses fetch visibility.”

When Narain isn't doing films, he reads a bit and watches a lot of films. “I don't know; sometimes, I feel that I'm a misfit in this industry. Had Kaithi not happened to me, I wouldn't be speaking to you about the success of Vikram. Karthi's film changed everything for me as Anjathe did. I'm happy about it,” he signs off.

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