Exclusive! It was my dream to watch FIFA World Cup live and I finally fulfilled it, says Fall actor Thalaivasal Vijay

As the FIFA World Cup fever reaches a mercurial peak in the knockout stage, one actor who is revelling in the football mania is Thalaivasal Vijay. The Bell Bottom actor was in the thick of action in Qatar recently where he witnessed his favourite team Germany take on Costa Rica. "This was the first time ever that I watched the Football World Cup live in a stadium. Being a die-hard of Germany, it was a goosebump-inducing moment watching the players live in action. Though I am upset that Germany didn't make it to the knockout stage, I am glad to have witnessed the frenzy live. When Germany failed to qualify, more than 6,000 people walked out of the stadium in pindrop silence. Tears welled up in many other's eyes."

Talking about why he decided to go to Qatar to fulfill his dream, Thalaivasal Vijay says, "For around five decades, I have been watching these matches on television. It was always my dream to watch in a packed stadium. When the matches were held in Europe, it would cost a bomb. Availability of tickets and accommodation and affordability, both were an issue. Qatar was a good host and the event was incredibly well-organised. And the icing on the cake was that we were seated in the fourth row from the goalpost. I even got to watch a match in a container cabin, which was also a brand new experience for me. I have now decided to watch the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup at Bhubaneshwar live as well."

Thalaiavasal Vijay reveals that his Azhagu co-star Revathy, too, would have joined him, if she wasn't busy with Salaam Venky promotions. "She loves football, too, and when she heard that I was going for the match, she said that she would have tagged along if not for the film. In fact, Aamir Khan, who has done a cameo in Salaam Venky, was in Qatar, too, for the match."

On the film front, Thalaivasal Vijay has just wrapped the shoot for RJ Balaji's Singapore Saloon."I play his father who encourages him to pursue his dream. I am also excited about my web series stint, Fall, a crime thriller with sports as its crux. Though I cannot reveal much about the show, all I can say is that a 'fall' changes the life of Anjali's character, who plays my daughter in the show."

So, how has working on a web series been? "I think web series strike a perfect balance between films and television series. While in cinema, you have to rush to wrap up the film in two hour's time, in a TV series, you elaborate the characters and plot way too much to keep it going. I am doing another web series The Village for Amazon Prime Video. It is being made on a massive scale and is likely to set a benchmark of sorts," he signs off.