I don’t want to project myself as a hero: Vikram Ravichandran

Vikram Ravichandran, who is following in the footsteps of his father, Ravichandran, and brother, Manoranjan, has finally started working on his debut film, Trivikrama. The film, directed by Sahana Murthy, will have music scored by Arjun Janya and cinematography by Santhosh Rai Pathaje. The project went on floors after a grand muhurath on Friday, which was attended by Puneeth Rajkumar. The teaser and poster of the film was launched on Saturday, and it looks like a proper commercial venture.

In an interview with Cinema Express, Vikram, who believes story should take the lead in a film, says, “At the start of my film career, I don’t want to project myself as a hero and wait for people to consider me a star when they walk out after watching my film. That’s how a few actors have sustained their stardom. Currently, I am this budding actor. I don’t have the liberty to throw much light on my role, but I can say that the hero has middle-class values, and is a person next door. I am looking to portray a unique character, which Kannada audience wouldn’t have seen before,” says Vikram, adding, “It is a love story with basic commercial elements, which have to be added for a certain section of the audience, but ultimately, we are following the subject.”

Vikram says the initial hiccups he went through have helped him handle his career better. “No pressure — that’s my policy. I want to handle everything with care. You have your aim right in front of your eyes, and I want to travel in that direction. What happened earlier is forgotten, and I felt it only happened for good. It was just a phase. Right now, Trivikrama is a launch vehicle, and I want to rock it.”

Vikram says his father’s only advice to him has been ‘Aim big’, and he has given him the best inputs as a father, director, and actor. “Going by the trend, I would also want to carry a little from the past, and see how it can be adapted to the future,” he says.

Akanksha Sharma insisted on learning Kannada before she began Trivikrama shoot 

Paired opposite Vikram in Trivikrama is actor Akanksha Sharma. Though not from Karnataka, the model-turned-heroine from Delhi is taking the efforts to learn the language. She even attempted to speak Kannada at the teaser launch. Director Sahana Murthy reveals that Akanksha has been camping in Bengaluru over the last two months, and has been insisting on learning Kannada, besides taking part in rehearsals, dancing and acting classes too. 

“If she learns to speak Kannada fluently, she might also dub for the film,” says the director.