Vijay Raghavendra talks about playing a 75 year old

Vijay Raghavendra has not been seen on the big screen for over a year, even though 2017 and 2018 were good for him as far as films and roles were concerned. In the time since, the actor has been busy with his commitments on the small screen as a judge for a couple of shows, while also contemplating what his next move should be. “After 2017, I had to release my directorial, Kismath, which was an experience of its own kind for me. I then got busy with TV and by early 2019, began work on a new film. Having said that, I must add, for a very long time, the one thing that I have been constantly told by my fans and other well-wishers is to do good cinema. But what is good cinema really? That is the question I was toying with while deciding my next acting role. So, I was on the lookout for a good film and character that would challenge me as an actor,” says Vijay.
What he eventually picked would be considered an unusual choice for a leading man – he plays a 75-year-old writer. “The moment the team came to me and said they had a character they wanted me to do –

Lakshmi Narayana Malgudi

– an elderly writer, I knew I had found what I was looking for. Here was a character that was a far-fetch from the regular protagonist roles that I have been doing; one that would not have be me do any regular hero stuff and required me to have prosthetics on to achieve the older look for an entire film. I knew that audiences would not get to see the regular Vijay in this film. The role, apart, I was also drawn to the story about this man, who has, over the years, made a good name for himself, and then comes across a younger character, with whom he connects. They talk about life, feelings and some of the most necessary things that matter to everyone – all of which will strike a chord with audiences. Film teams often talk about the story being the actual hero; I think

Malgudi Days

truly embodies that statement,” explains Vijay, adding, “We are not trying to take people down memory lane with this film. Instead, what we are attempting is to tell a story that will make them happy. And what made me happy is that those who have seen rushes of the film or the teaser have said that it is a character that Vijay has given life to.”
Getting the look right, though, meant that for every day of the filmmaking, the actor had to undergo four to five hours of makeup sessions to put on the prosthetics. “We would start the process by 3.30 am, finish by 8 am. The initial four to five hours after that are fine; you’ve got the makeup on and no one really recognises you. But then it begins to get to you, with your own body crying to just get out of it, which is another task of a couple of hours. It was gruelling for me because we shot the film during peak summer in the Malnad region. But now, when you see the end result, it is extremely satisfying to have done something like this. And while I play this elderly character in the entire film, we will release a new trailer today, which has a surprise in store for audiences,” Vijay signs off.