Viduthalai Part 2 actor Vijay Sethupathi Interview: On lessons from being Perumal Vaathiyar, hosting Bigg Boss, and observing Vetrimaaran

Just a day before the release of Viduthalai Part 2, director Vetrimaaran called the film an “exhausting and extensive piece of work”. The filmmaker, who is known for crafting his films on the go, even took the decision to chop off eight minutes just half a day prior to release. To start off, Viduthalai began as a small film with Soori, with Vijay Sethupathi making a cameo appearance. But what it has become is a duology, with the 2024 film exploring Vijay Sethupathi’s Vaathiyar character in depth.

So, was it equally exhausting and extensive to play a character that evolved on the go, I ask Vijay Sethupathi.

“For me, it was enjoyable and exciting. This is a story that has to be told responsibly. Even a small misstep can cause the story to be seen in the wrong way. Hence, eventually, he had the need to tell this tale with utmost care and responsibility. Even as the film finished, I saw so many perspectives in the film. There are so many angles and I was in awe of him. Vetrimaaran had kept working on it, and each cut had a different story to tell. As an actor, it was surprising for us as well,” Vijay Sethupathi answers.

Vijay Sethupathi Interview for Viduthalai: Part 2

As Vijay Sethupathi says as actors, they were in awe of how Vetrimaaran could tell the story in such a strong way, he continues to say how Vetrimaaran could see the film as a director, and while he sits on the edit table, as the audience as well. “He could identify the lows and highs of films. He has always be a personality I have been in awe of,” he adds. Hence Vijay Sethupathi says that Viduthalai might be exhausting for him as a filmmaker, but he enjoyed the process.

Also read: Viduthalai Part 2 actor Soori Interview: Cinema has now become more than entertainment for me | EXCLUSIVE 

“It is definitely a different kind of experience. Super Deluxe was of a different kind, Kadaisi Vivasayi was another, and so was this. Viduthalai raised a lot of questions within me and I began to see different perspectives. The realisations and surprises were more.”

Coming to his character Perumal Vaathiyar, who was initially slated for a cameo appearance and then transformed into a full-fledged role, asked if that felt like a challenge or free-flowing independence, Vijay Sethupathi says, “I believe art is not something you have to challenge. When a director conceives a film or scene, what matters is the thought process that went into forming it. Sometimes, we ourselves would know that some scenes may not work, and other times we would be in wow of their thoughts and execution. I found the latter in Vetrimaaran a lot. Secondly, this is not improvisation, but what the story demands. He tried to justify the character and story, and for his profession.”

Vijay Sethupathi recalls the time when the film was showcased at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam earlier this year, where the cut included not showing his character’s flashback. “It was a four-hour cut, which was also welcomed by the audience and he had extra shows too on audience demand. So, this story can also be told without the flashbacks, but there was some thought in him to show this in Viduthalai.”

Also read: Viduthalai- Part 1 on OTT: Before watching Vetrimaaran’s sequel, stream the first part HERE for free

Known for his penchant for understanding the human psyche, Vijay Sethupathi, who played Vaathiyar says, “He is a man who keeps the values of commoners at a pedestal, than that of his family and personal life. He stands for the oppressed, teaches them about their rights, and imparts the wisdom of ideologies. He is that person who reflects on what the society had been. It is a character that raises many questions within me.”

Understanding the common man

Even as Vijay Sethupathi has become an established actor, he acknowledges that he is constantly surrounded by people of all kinds around him who keep him in check of reality. “If you could go to a cinema set, you can see people from all walks of life. In fact, if my children get holidays, I invite them to film sets. There is a society thriving, and I am surrounded by many grounded people, my family, and the people I work with. There is everything in front of us, and it is our choice what we see.”

The actor says even an expensive and well-to-do neighbourhood will also have residences of people with humble background. “It is present everywhere. No area is filled with one strata of people. It is our choice on what we see.”

The actor says it is a recurring phenomenon that his perspective on life keeps changing with each role. “Every time, a today will always question the yesterday someway or the other. The Vijay Sethupathi you see today is learning many things from the man he was before. If it does not happen, then something is wrong with me.”

When Vijay Sethupathi says that the change inside someone is a subconscious one, he goes on to explain as an actor and person, the changes coming from within and becomes inherent, even if it comes consciously.

“Bigg Boss is a big lesson for me”

Vijay Sethupathi, who is anchoring the ongoing season of Bigg Boss Season 8 Tamil, says that it is a big lesson for him. However, the challenge, the actor says is that there are chances for contestants and audiences to provoke him. “There are chances that they might trigger us to act, as per their convenience. One must be very careful because they can use us as a channel. As far as I consider, all of them have come to Bigg Boss expecting a change in their lives and the show is a big lesson. They don’t have commitments, cell phones, or the search for basic needs for life, and importantly they know time,” he adds.

Also read: Bigg Boss Tamil Season 8 on OTT: Where to stream the grand launch of Vijay Sethupathi-hosted reality show? 

The actor says contestants should frame their own ethics, and see it as a big opportunity for contestants. “As far as me, I learn a lot when I take a particular issue and discuss it. The scope it has to offer surprises me. Bigg Boss is not about who is right and wrong, but the opinions and angles people can see. A human psyche can view, manipulate, play, and influence a particular issue. It is a reflection, and we can understand that from the show,” Vijay Sethupathi says.