Birthday special: Will Kamal Haasan score a much-needed hit with 'Vikram'?

Kamal Haasan, the star of films such as 'Sadma' and 'Hey Ram', turns 67 on Sunday

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan, who turns 67 on Sunday, is going through a difficult phase on the work front. His last film Vishwaroopam 2 hit the screens in 2018 and proved to be a commercial failure. The multi-talented artist tried reviving his career with Indian 2 but the biggie was put on hold due to Covid-19 curbs. With the setbacks behind him, he has turned his attention to Vikram, which marks his first collaboration with Master director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Here is a look at why the biggie may help the Hey Ram star get his Kollywood career back on track.

A new beginning for Kamal?

The 'Glimpse of Vikram' video, which was released on November 6, suggests that the film will have plenty of realistic/intense action scenes and cater to a mass audience. If this is true, Vikram is likely to mark the beginning of a new chapter for Kamal as he hasn't done too many action dramas in his career. The film's compelling background score indicates that it may feature a few elevation scenes, not something that one usually expects from a Kamal movie.

An epic combination

Kamal has never hesitated to experiment with his reel image. The star took nearly everyone by surprise when he starred in a sensitive film like Sadma shortly after entering the Hindi film industry will with the romantic drama Ek Dujje Ke Liye. The period drama Hey Ram and Dasavatharam, a film where he essayed 10 distinct characters, too weren't 'regular commercial' movies by any stretch of the imagination as their narratives had strong political/religious undertones.

Also Read | 'Vikram' teaser: Kamal Haasan's new avatar is a treat for fans

Like Kamal, Lokesh too doesn't follow the templates associated with commercial cinema. The Karthi-starrer Kaithi, for example, did not have a romantic track or dance numbers. Similarly, Master--unlike a Mersal or a Bigil-- wasn't a conventional Vijay film as it featured top actor Vijay Sethupathi as the antagonist/parallel lead. Their shared desire to experiment makes Kamal and Lokesh an intriguing combination.

Impressive supporting cast

Vijay Sethupathii delivered an intense performance in Master, which many regard as one of the biggest films of his career. Vikram reunites 'Makkal Selvan' with the director. Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil, who garnered attention with his work in the recent direct to OTT films Malik and CU Soon, plays the antagonist in the biggie. He received acclaim with his previous Tamil films Super Deluxe and Velaikkaran. The perception is that his association with the film will help it get wider patronage in Kerala. Moreover, the prospect of Kamal interacting with VJS and FaFa on the big screen is quite exciting.'

Potential youth connect

Vikram's music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander, the resident 'Rockstar' of Tamil cinema. His song usually click with the younger crowds due to their youthful vibe. Kolaveri Di from 3 is a case in point. It broke the language barrier to become everyone's favourite soup song'. Judging by the teaser's background score, the songs will blend with the narrative and have a 'massy' feel. This should help Vikram capture the fancy of the younger generation, something that a Vishwroopam 2 or an Uttama Villain were not able to do.