Vishnu Agasthya Interview: I shed around 15 kgs to get in shape for RDX

In commercial cinema terms, it goes without saying that every strong hero needs a stronger villain. If Mangalassery Neelakandan and Narasimha Mannadiyar are still celebrated as iconic mass heroes, it's partly because they locked horns with equally powerful nemeses—Mundakkal Shekaran and Hyder Marakkar, respectively. Simply put, a potent antagonist is the basic ingredient for a delicious mass entertainer. Nahas Hidhayath, the director of the recent sensation RDX, seems to have been well aware of this as he pitted his martial arts-trained heroes (unstoppable force) against an extremely violent criminal gang (immovable object). Heading this barbaric mob is the prime antagonist Paulson, played by Vishnu Agasthya, an upcoming actor. Trusting a lesser-known actor with such a prominent part was a brave gamble by Nahas, which, going by the stellar public response, seems to have paid off spectacularly. Vishnu's compelling performance is currently the talk of the town, and here's the actor opening up about the responses, his trajectory, and more 

Excerpts 

You were a video jockey before becoming a full-time actor. What prompted you to leave a high-paying job to focus on cinema?

To start with, I never dreamt of becoming an actor. During my student days, I never participated in any kind of performing arts. Even the video jockey gig happened unexpectedly. At some point, I got interested in cinema and its whole process. But soon I realised that interest alone wouldn't take me anywhere. That's when I quit the job and joined ActLab to get formally trained in acting.

Where did the big break come from?

After a year-long stint at ActLab, I worked on many small projects to build a portfolio. Today, we're blessed to have various platforms to showcase our talent. It need not always be groundbreaking, but it's imperative to put your work out in the public. Some of them like Le Cliche Vellamadi and Anatomy of A Kaamukan (presented by Gautham Menon) got noticed. But I believe it was Insomnia Nights that got me the much-needed visibility and appreciation. It is these works that got me roles in all three of my recent films, O.Baby, 1001 Nunakal and RDX.

How did you get the call for RDX?

Nahas called me after coming across some of my works. He told me about this martial arts-based film and wanted to try me for a particular character. When we first met, I was slightly bulky weighing around 77 kg. But he wanted a lean and fit person for the role. I told him I'll try reducing my weight and come back. We then met a couple of weeks later, and by then, I had brought down my weight to 70. I think he liked that commitment. I got some more time and used it to improve my physique. Eventually, when I was confirmed for the villain part, I had shed around 15 kgs in 2-3 months.

What was the brief you got for Paulson?

The first thing I was told was, Paulson is very sharp and aware. His ego gets hurt very easily, and once provoked, he can unleash violence to any extent. The writers, Adarsh and Shabas, also helped me understand why Paulson turned out like this. He used to take pride in being the brother of Jaison (played by Sujith Shankar in the film), a powerful, authoritarian-like figure. After the carnival incident, when Jaison accepts money as settlement, Paulson feels cheated. Jaison's fall from a position of power has a huge impact on Paulson, and he carries that pain and vengeance in him for years.

One of your biggest assets is your expressive eyes. Nahas has captured it beautifully, right from the film's opening shot...

The film doesn't have many personal moments or brutal sequences to establish Paulson. Nahas designed the character in such a way that the actor playing Paulson should be able to register the fierceness with just his eyes. On my part, I ensured not to just stare and threaten but instead use it to convey the burning vengeance within.

How was the dynamics with the three leads in RDX? Given the fact that they had a bit of formal martial arts training, did you pick anything in particular from them?

My first fight sequence in the film was with Pepe (Antony). He is a super cool guy. There was a scene where I had to bang a plant pot on his head. Though the material was made of plaster of paris, I still had to hit it hard on someone's head. Since he has done a lot of action films, Antony understood my concern and said,  "machane otta adi.. athre olu paruadi". While watching the film on the big screen, I felt very happy for them as all three have endured several trolls and humiliations. Shane was mercilessly trolled as a 'depression star'. But in this film, he is at his charming best, doing action, romance and dance. Similarly, Antony, who was mostly seen in action films, did a really good job showing his emotions as a family man. An unseen side of Neeraj was also seen in this film. He brilliantly reproduced the Nunchaku skills on screen.

Could you walk us through the first-hand experience of witnessing the 'Babu Antony moment'?

It was inexplicable. When he perfected the stunt and posed for the camera, almost all of us on the sets had instant goosebumps. The whole team burst into claps while still being in awe. It was a great experience to work with a man we all idolised. I've seen people of all age groups admiring him, even old women. He, however, didn't realise all that. It was only after social media became popular that he realised the volume of the influence he had. Today, he is as excited as us with the response. During theatre visits, I've seen him soaking in the claps and adulation he gets for that moment.

O Baby, which also had you as the villain, was again action-heavy albeit a different style...

Yes, though both were villain roles, the fuel driving these characters were different. O.Baby's Stanley was greedy, while Paulson is revenge-hungry. Likewise, the action in both these films also had no semblance. While the fights in O.Baby were raw and unchoreographed, in RDX, we were working with AnbAriv masters, one of the best in the business. Before the shoot, I had asked Nahas if I should get some basic martial training, but he refused. He said there shouldn't be any style to my action as Paulson doesn't have a disciplined background. Since I was skeptical, I joined a brief training course to prepare myself for any challenge. It helped me understand the language of choreographed fights and the importance of physical discipline. Unlike in O.Baby, the action here had a certain technique where one had to be aware of the landing positions and camera angles.

Your character and performance in 1001 Nunakal was nothing like the other two films, which shows your versatility...

1001 Nunakal was a refreshing experience because filmmakers usually cast newcomers in raw, aggressive roles. However, Vinay had no such shades. He was a refined, sophisticated guy with a completely different body language. I enjoyed playing the role. I'm also lucky that RDX and 1001 Nunakal released within a gap of seven days as people could see me in diametrically opposite roles. I always aspire to do that as an artist.