I want to play an everyday hero, the kind people can relate to: Vinay Rajkumar

ove stories and masala entertainers may dominate the box office, but Vinay Rajkumar believes in the “power of universal stories of struggle and triumph.” “I’ve explored lighter roles, I’ve done the college capers, but it’s the gritty, intense characters that resonate with me… I feel each of us are the heroes of our own stories, each with our own struggles. Don’t you feel like a hero when you get past that? Those are the kinds of stories I want to tell – stories people can relate to,” he says.

'An honour to portray those who come to Bengaluru to chase their dreams’
‘I’m playing an everyday hero who faces the hustle every day’
Last year, while promoting Pepe, I approached Vijay for a potential collaboration. We instantly connected. During that conversation, he mentioned an idea for a film, and I was hooked from the start. There are so many people who come to Bengaluru hoping to do well. In City Lights, I play a boy who too has come to Bengaluru with big dreams. He, too, is an every day hero who faces the hustle every day.

‘Vijay Kumar has a gift for telling stories that resonate with diverse audiences’
His ability to seamlessly blend mass appeal with meaningful storytelling has always fascinated me. More importantly, his films authentically represent communities rarely seen in mainstream cinema,” he explains. “If you look at Bheema, for instance, you’ll notice how he wove together Tamil-Kannada and Urdu-speaking demographics so naturally. There’s a lot of thought behind his direction, yet it feels effortless.