‘மணல்நகரம்’ படத்தின் துபாய் வில்லன் விகே!

அண்மையில் வெளியான ‘மணல் நகரம்’ படத்தில் வில்லனாக நடித்திருப்பவர் விகே. படத்தின் ஒரு நாயகியான தன்ஷிகா மீது மோகம் கோண்டு அவரைப் பின்தொடரும் ஸ்டார் ஓட்டல் முதலாளி மோகன்ராஜாக நடித்திருப்பவர்தான் இந்த விகே..இவரது முழுப்பெயர் வினோத் குமார்.இவர் துபாயில் வசிக்கிறார்.

இனி அவருடன் பேசலாமே….

உங்கள் அறிமுகம் பற்றி?

நான் பிறந்தது வளர்ந்தது கேரளா ஆலப்புழா மாவட்டத்தில் ஒரு கிராமம். பெற்றோருக்கு இரும்பு உருக்காலையில் வேலை.எனவே குடும்பம் ஜார்கண்ட் மாநிலம் இடம் பெயர்ந்தது. படிப்பு அங்கு தொடர்ந்து எம் பிஏ முடித்து குடும்பத்து விருப்பத்துக்காக வேலைக்குப் போனேன். அப்படி வேலைக்குப் போன நாடுதான் துபாய். அங்கு ‘காக்ஸ்’ என்கிற பயண நிறுவனத்தில் வேலை. பழம்பெரும் நிறுவனம் அது .எனக்கு அங்கே நல்ல வேலை ‘கிங்ஸ்’ நிறுவனத்திலும் உயர் பொறுப்பை வகிக்கிறேன்.

படிப்பு வேலை என்றிருந்த நீங்கள் சினிமாவில் எப்படி நுழைந்தீர்கள்?

எனக்கு சிறுவயது முதல் கலை, கிரிக்கெட்என்கிற இரண்டிலும் ஆர்வம். ஆடல், பாடல், இசை, கதை, கவிதை, நாடகம் என எல்லாமும் பிடிக்கும்.

பள்ளி நாட்களில் சிறிதும் கூச்சப் படாமல் மேடையேறி நடித்ததுண்டு. பிறகு நாடகக் குழுக்களில் பங்குபெற்று நவீனநாடகங்களில், வீதி நாடகங்களில் எல்லாம் நடித்திருக்கிறேன். நாடகத்தை இயக்கியும் கூட இருக்கிறேன்..

தபலா, டிரம்ஸ் வாசிப்பேன். இசைக்குழுவில் வாசித்ததுண்டு.டில்லியில்இருந்த போது சில மாடலிங்கும் செய்திருக்கிறேன்.
இப்படிப்பட்ட நான் எல்லா ஆர்வத்தையும் மனதிற்குள் புதைத்துக் கொண்டு துபாயில் வேலை பார்த்தேன். அங்கு ‘மணல்நகரம்’ படக்குழுவினர் வந்தனர். நடிகர்- இயக்குநர் சங்கர் மற்றும் தயாரிப்பாளர் வசந்த் ஆகியோரின் அறிமுகம் கிடைத்தது. இயக்குநர்அங்குள்ள நடிகர்களை தேர்வு செய்த போது என்னைப் பிடித்துப் போய் இந்த பாத்திரத்தில் நடிக்கும் வாய்ப்பைக் கொடுத்தார்.

‘மணல்நகரம்’ படத்தில் நடித்த அனுபவம் எப்படி?

அது புதுமையான அனுபவம்தான்.இயக்குநர், தயாரிப்பாளர் எல்லாரும் நண்பர்களாகி விட்டனர் எனவே இலகுவாக இருந்தது. நான் கேமரா முன்பு நடித்தது போக மீதி நேரத்தில் எல்லாவற்றையும் உற்றுப் பார்ப்பேன் ;கவனிப்பேன். அப்போது நிறைய கற்றுக் கொண்டேன். அவர்கள் சொல்கிற பிற வேலைகளையும் செய்து அதன் மூலமும் கற்றுக் கொண்டேன்.

படம் வெளியான பிறகு எப்படி இருந்த்து ..?

படம் பார்த்த பிறகு மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருந்தது. ஏதாவது ஒரு படத்திலாவது ஏதாவது ஒருகாட்சியிலாவது நடிக்க மாட்டோமா என்று கனவு கண்டதுண்டு. முழுநீள பாத்திரம் கிடைத்தது மகிழ்ச்சிதான். பத்திரிகை, ஊடகங்களில் என் நடிப்பைப் பாராட்டியுள்ளதைக் கண்டு மகிழ்ச்சியடைந்தேன்.படம் பார்த்து பலரும் பாராட்டினர். குறிப்பாக என் பெற்றோர், மனைவி பாராட்டிய போது பெருமையாக இருந்தது.

அடுத்து உங்கள் திட்டம்?

நான் துபாயிலிருந்தாலும் அவ்வப் போது சென்னை வருகிறேன். விடுமுறைகளை அனுசரித்து படங்களில் நடிக்க ஆசை. தமிழில் 2 இந்தியில் 1 எனப் பட வாய்ப்புகள் வந்துள்ளன. பாசிடிவா நெகடிவா எதுவாக இருந்தாலும் எபெக்டிவா நடிக்கவேண்டும் இதுவேஎன்ஆசை..

புதியவரவை நாமும் வாழ்த்தலாமே. !

V K from Dubai, who recently did his debut in Tamil Film Industry with OruThalai Ragam Shankar’s MANAL NAHARAM. In the movie he plays Mohan Raj, the villain.

Who is VK?

Vinod Kumar popularly known as VK amongst buddies, alumni and by work group, by nature is a very friendly yet “appears to be difficult to approach” kind of person by his appearance. When you know him closely, one realises his simplicity and as a next door man, who knows only to love and take care of people. But ironically, he does a negative character, a contrast to his nature.

Background

Born and brought up in Jharkhand, his parents were government servants who used to work for Steel Plant. Lived there for 19 years and did his schooling from St. Xavier’s School Bokaro. Later moved to Delhi and did his college from KMC in Delhi and worked in various companies in Foreign Exchange, Media, Events, and Holidays etc for 22 years and is now in Dubai. He heads the outbound division of a 257 year old travel company Cox and Kings as senior General Manager.

Any background in acting

During his school days he has acted and directed plays, done theatre and street plays. He did walk ramps and did modelling in Delhi for a while. He always had a passion to do cinema but never knew how to get there. During a small stint of schooling for 8 months in Cochin, he developed passion for Malayalam and Tamil Cinema. So when the opportunity knocked the door, he grabbed it with full passion and got his first break in MANAL NAHARAM.

How was the shooting experience of MANAL NAHARAM

Manal Naharam was not only about doing a role, but it gave a complete opportunity to know the action in front and behind the camera. Both my Director and Producer, Shankar Sir and Vasant ji have been kind to get me involved in the daily activities. They imparted whatever best they could to make me learn on the making of a cinema. Even when we were doing our roles, all actors had specified roles to play behind the scene too at shoot locations. It functioned like a corporate office for me. And during the shoot breaks i used to get busy with my office mails and coordination. It was a very good experience. All team members were very friendly.

What are your hobbies?

Besides his passion for doing films, he is a cricketer (wants to play CCL), enjoys playing drums, pens down poems and stories, does gardening, and does social work, very passionate about cooking. But what i enjoy most is sitting alone and watching people, observing how they walk, talk, body language etc.

What are your future Projects

He has 2 Tamil films which start in August and 1 Hindi film in discussion mode…..details of which he prefers to speak once it starts rolling.

How will you balance work and acting

His passion for doing Tamil films brings him down to Chennai on and off from Dubai. When asked on how he would manage his work and shooting schedules, he interjected saying all lies in the hands of the Boss. However he immediately mentioned that he has a good rapport with her and will do the shooting schedules using his annual leaves. If I justify my being in the industry, he doesn’t mind looking it as a career.

What kind of roles he likes to do

He is open to all and any kind of roles that has depth and adds in contributing to the storyline. Likes to get into the skin of the character and prefers to be the way the character is before he gets in for shoot. Has a desire to do versatile roles rather than being clichéd in a particular genre.

What has been the response so far on Manal Naharam

The response so far has been extremely encouraging. The film is running its 3rd week and it has been well received by the film journo. Film Portals as Nammal Tamil Cinema, South India crime Point web TV, Screen for screen, Malaai Malar, Deccan etc have given special attention on VKs performance as outstanding. Besides that the most important critic, his parents who have theatre background has appreciated his performance whole heartedly which is very important. He says his Wife mentioning him as standing out in the movie is the biggest appreciation.

Vinod Kumar, more popularly known as VK amongst his buddies, alumni and work group, is a successful corporate professional in the travel trade. He currently works with Cox and Kings Travel Pvt. Ltd. and heads their Tour business in Dubai. His passion lies in Art and sports. Music and cinema remains his getaway to unwind and rejuvenate. As a child through his adolescence, VK always aspired to become a successful cricketer while he secretly carried a strong desire to act in at least one movie in his life-time. Brought up in a very simple, middle-class Nair family from a small village called Karuvatta in Alleppey district, Kerala, VK like any other normal boy next-door, pursued his parents dream – to study and secure a decent job. VK’s childhood memories are made of friends and school mates from a closed knit group of families who moved from their roots to work for a living, at the Steel plant in Bokaro, Jharkhand. His school days are remembered by him as the best time of his life. He studied at the St. Xavier’s convent, Bokaro through his pre-primary, primary and higher secondary curriculum. He moved to New Delhi to pursue higher education, complete an MBA degree and secure a decent job in the corporate sector. All through his growing up days and youth, he did not shy away from participating in drama, theatre and modelling projects. His passion for music lead him and his few friends to set-up a band where he learnt to play drums, tabla, jambe, dafli and earned accolades as a percussionist. He moved base to Dubai for work prospects and in this city of dreams; he realized his secret childhood dream of acting in a movie.

As destiny unfolded its plan, acting opportunity came to VK as a pleasant and welcome surprise. VK was introduced to actor / director, Mr. Shankar of Oru talai ragam fame. And at his very first meeting with Shankar, he left a lasting impression which sowed a character in the director’s mind. Subsequently, Shankar discussed the antagonist in his storyline and offered VK the much applauded negative role of Mohan Raj, in his movie Manal Naharam – a bilingual movie in Tamil and Malayalam.

Manal Naharam in Tamil and Sand City in Malayalam hit the silver screens all over in Kerala and Chennai early this year. The story is about ….…. Mohan Raj (VK) is the main antagonist who plays a modern NRI settled in Dubai with a powerful position in a reputed 5 star Hotel. His pervasive interest is the waitress in his hotel restaurant whom he follows with an egoist and perverse mind. The movie cast also includes Prajin, Taniska, Gautham, Varuna Shetty in important character roles. Manal Naharam is scheduled to hit the Dubai, soon.

After his successful stint with “a luck by chance” role in Manal Naharam, VK is appreciated and lauded for his work and acting. More directors are seeking interest in VK and few have even chalked out lead roles for their forthcoming movies. He has offers lined up from established directors and script writers for lead character roles in Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam cinema.