V
for
versatility
or
you
could
say
V
for
Vikram.
The
actor,
who
turns
59
on
April
17,
is
one
of
the
rare
performers
who
has
been
able
to
successfully
strike
a
balance
between
mainstream
cinema
and
offbeat
choices.
There
was
a
time
when
Vikram
would
set
a
benchmark
of
the
character
and
it
would
be
almost
impossible
to
imagine
anyone
else
playing
that
role.
Divya
Nair
celebrates
Vikram’s
birthday
by
presenting
the
path-breaking
films
and
performances
that
define
his
career.
1.
Sethu
(1999)
In
Bala’s
directorial
debut,
Vikram
plays
a
love-struck
rowdy
who
becomes
mentally
unstable.
The
heart-breaking
film
also
announced
his
arrival
as
a
mainstream
Tamil
actor.
His
intense
portrayal
of
the
character,
for
which
Vikram
underwent
a
physical
transformation
and
won
the
Tamil
Nadu
state
award,
inspired
Salman
Khan
to
remake
the
film
as
Tere
Naam
in
Hindi.
Post
the
success
of
Sethu,
Vikram
would
be
popularly
known
by
his
screen
name
Chiyaan,
a
title
that
has
stuck
with
him
since.
2.
Kasi
(2001)
When
Director
Vinayan
wanted
to
remake
the
Malayalam
film
Vasanthiyum
Lakshmiyum
Pinne
Njaanum,
he
could
not
have
cast
a
better
actor.
Vikram’s
adaptation
of
a
blind
village
singer
is
full
of
innocence
and
tenderness.
The
character
requires
a
rare
kind
of
mental
strength
that
is
hard
to
express
but
Vikram
delivers
it
with
authenticity.
In
fact,
Vikram
even
lost
his
vision
for
a
few
months
due
to
his
method
acting
attempt
to
perfect
the
role.
When
you
watch
this
film,
Vikram’s
restrained
yet
powerful
emotional
performance
is
sure
to
draw
empathy
and
applause.
3.
Gemini
(2002)
If
there
is
one
actor
who
can
satisfy
the
requirements
of
commercial
cinema
and
please
the
critics
as
well,
Vikram’s
name
would
feature
on
top
of
the
list.
With
Gemini,
Vikram
proved
that
he
can
blend
mass
appeal
with
emotional
depth
and
comic
timing.
He
plays
a
flamboyant
gangster
with
oodles
of
charisma
and
chemistry.
4.
Saamy
(2003)
Years
before
films
like
Singham
became
a
franchise
in
Bollywood,
Vikram
showed
what
an
onscreen
cop
could
aspire
to
be.
As
the
daring,
no-nonsense
cop
Aarusaamy,
Vikram’s
high-octane
drama
had
incredible
swag.
Be
it
his
fitness,
body
language,
sharp
stunts
or
dialogue
delivery,
Vikram
was
roaring
for
the
masses.
Apart
from
the
action
sequences,
his
flirty
chemistry
with
Trisha
continues
to
rank
them
among
the
hottest
on
screen
couples
in
Tamil
cinema.
5.
Pithamagan
(2003)
It
is
hard
to
imagine
how
an
actor
can
switch
from
a
glamorous
cop
to
an
autistic
graveyard
caretaker
with
such
ease.
Pithamagan,
Vikram’s
second
film
with
Director
Bala,
had
no
punch
dialogues
or
fancy
costumes.
Vikram
conveys
the
pain
of
being
an
outcast
by
society
through
his
eyes
and
body
language,
and
nothing
is
lost
in
translation.
His
performance
won
him
the
National
Award
for
Best
Actor.
6.
Anniyan
(2005)
Perhaps
by
now,
a
lot
of
directors
had
figured
out
that
Vikram
was
impeccable
at
playing
contrasting
characters
with
perfection.
Directed
by
Shankar,
this
psychological
drama
found
its
perfect
hero
and
anti-hero
in
Vikram
who
plays
not
one,
but
three
distinct
roles
with
different
personalities.
In
one
moment,
you
see
him
as
a
meek
lawyer,
the
next
an
ideal,
romantic
boyfriend,
and
then
suddenly
transforms
to
a
ruthless,
terrifying
vigilante.
The
way
he
shifts
between
these
diverse
characters
and
nails
each
of
them
with
vulnerability,
conviction
and
finesse
continues
to
remain
a
masterclass
in
fine
acting.
7.
Raavan
and
Raavanan
(2010)
It’s
not
easy
to
debunk
the
character
traits
of
a
popular
villain
from
mythology
but
Vikram
delivers
Mani
Ratnam’s
vision
of
Raavanan
with
such
sincerity
that
you
will
sympathise
with
the
antagonist.
Be
it
searing
rage
or
raw
emotions,
Vikram
peels
off
the
complex
layers
of
his
menacing
personality
in
a
compelling
fashion
and
it
makes
you
want
to
hear
his
side
of
the
story.
The
film
may
have
received
mixed
reviews
at
the
box
office
but
Vikram
—
who
also
played
the
cop
hero
(the
character
based
on
Lord
Rama
in
the
Hindi
version)
—
shines
brilliantly
in
both
films.
8.
Deiva
Thirumagal
(2011)
Boyfriend.
Cop.
Anti-hero.
Just
when
Vikram
had
bookmarked
his
template
for
each
of
these
roles,
he
took
up
another
challenge
—
to
break
the
taboo
around
society’s
perception
of
disability.
In
Deiva
Thirumagal,
Vikram
introduces
us
to
Krishna,
a
mentally
challenged
doting
father,
who
is
fighting
for
his
daughter’s
custody.
Vikram’s
soul-stirring
representation
in
this
courtroom
drama
that
is
anything
but
cliche.
9.
David
(2013)
Charming,
niche
and
emotional.
When
Vikram
presents
himself
as
David,
the
carefree
fisherman
from
Goa,
what
he
doesn’t
want
you
to
see
is
the
weight
of
his
guilt
and
longing
for
unrequited
love.
Vikram
packages
his
emotions
in
a
stylish
charm
of
its
own,
never
once
letting
you
see
his
vulnerability.
David
is
one
of
the
niche,
praiseworthy
films
in
his
career.
10.
Ponniyin
Selvan
(2022–2023)
Mani
Ratnam’s
Aditya
Karikalan
is
a
prince
torn
between
grief
and
glory.
Though
haunted
by
his
tragic
past
and
lost
love,
he
doesn’t
have
the
time
to
grieve
—
he
has
a
war
to
win,
a
kingdom
to
protect
and
a
legacy
to
defend.
As
the
Chola
dynasty’s
warrior
prince,
Vikram
looks
grand,
regal
and
fierce.
His
monologue
speeches
and
candid
confessions
demand
a
theatrical
experience.
