Vijay Antony interview: ‘Don’t set targets. Go where life takes you’

Vijay Antony’s interviews are free therapy sessions. The way he looks at life is starkly different from how other film stars view it. His is a simplistic, non-materialistic point of view.

The actor-composer lives it. He prefers walking around barefoot, a trait that he is known for among his fans. He vouches that he has no big ambitions in life. Heck, he even states that, despite his overwhelming success, he has little clue of what acting or music direction actually is.

“I still maintain that I don’t know acting. But I’m successful because of habit. Anyone who accepts what he or she doesn’t know and then takes it up sincerely can achieve success,” he says.

That he has. This September 19, hisShakti Thirumagan hits screens. It is a significant project in his filmography as it marks his 25th outing as an actor – a journey that started in 2012’s Naan. “It was a great introduction,” he says, referring to Naan. Vijay followed that up with films like Salim and India Pakistan, but his breakout film as an actor was Pichaikkaran (2015). Playing a billionaire businessman who leads a secret life as a beggar, Vijay Antony’s performance and the film’s novel idea catapulted his stardom. “It gave me a firm place in people’s hearts. But I did not know how to handle that success… probably because I am the first actor in my family and don’t have any film industry backing. After that success, I did my share of mistakes and learn what not to do. I feel I’m now on a new journey,” he says, referring to his last few successful films including Romeo and Maargan.

Next up in that journey will be Shakti Thirumagan, his major box-office test this Friday. What did he like most about this script? “Its director, Arun Prabu. I loved his earlier works, Vaazhl and Aruvi. Even before he narrated the storyline, I had made up my mind to take it up.” The trailer also suggests the protagonist donning some shades of grey – with the words ‘hustler’, ‘trickster’ and ‘gangster’ prominently used whenever Vijay Antony appears on screen. “Yes, he does have a lot of shades, like all human beings. Just like you and me.”

Tamil actor and composer Vijay Antony
| Photo Credit:
Shivaraj S

Realistic goals

Vijay Antony burst into the scene as a music composer in the 2000s, dishing out fast hits like ‘Naaka Muka’ (Kadhalil Vizhunthen) and ‘Aathichudi’ (TN 07 AL 4777). “I came in blind. I overrated myself, but after watching the workings of the music industry, it was overwhelming,” he recalls.

In a music industry dominated by AR Rahman and Harris Jayaraj — much before Anirudh broke into the scene, in 2012 — Vijay Antony managed to carve a niche for himself. “I worked on the projects that came my way, without aiming too high. Over time, I’ve realised that having a target is unnecessary. When someone mentions that they have an aim, I feel happy for myself because I don’t have that pressure. I know everyone has targets for the month — financial ones, that is — but it is realistic to not set other life goals. I firmly believe that if you set stressful life goals, you will lose sight of what you currently have, for which you have to be grateful,” he explains.

Vijay Antony comes across as a person who approaches his work, be it acting or music direction, in a ‘methodical’ manner. Does this take away from the passion behind the work? He answers, “Take one of my songs, ‘Suppose Enna’ (Sukran), for example. I composed the tune in hardly 10 minutes, but the end product that you hear — which includes sound and orchestration — would be 10 days of work. In most jobs I take up, it is responsibility and process than drives me, and not passion. I value responsibility more than being passionate.”

Currently, Vijay’s responsibility is towards ensuring that his landmark 25th film, Shakti Thirumagan, gets good buzz. Apart from that, he also has his hands full in production, backing projects like Lawyer and Pookie. But the news that he is most excited about — like most Tamil cinema fans are — is his teaming up with Pichaikkaran director Sasi yet again, for a new project titled Nooru Saami. “I remember breaking down when he narrated the storyline of Pichaikkaran. Similarly, when I heard the story narration of Nooru Saami for over two hours, I broke down at least 15 times. It deals with a lot of emotions and values. Much like Pichaikkaran, this is also the tale of a relationship between a mother and her son.”