Dhruv Vikram on Adithya Varma, his father superstar Chiyaan Vikram, and why he chose Arjun Reddy remake as a debut

“Cinema has always been my passion. Of course, I have a huge interest in music but the idea of getting into the skin of the character and the process of making audiences feel for the actors on the screen excites me,” says Dhruv, the one and only son of Tamil Superstar Chiyaan Vikram.

Dhruv is all set to make his debut with Adithya Varma, the Tamil remake of Telugu cult classic Arjun Reddy, which also received severe backlash with the Hindi version, yet went on to become a blockbuster. “Even in Tamil Nadu, people have seen Kabir Singh because they wanted to know the remake of Arjun Reddy was. I tell you a better example. We have all watched Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker in The Dark Knight yet when someone made a film on the iconic character with a different actor, people went to theaters to know how Joaquin Phoenix pulled off the role. Similarly, I’m sure people want to know about our version of Arjun Reddy,” says the young actor.

“Yes, the comparison is inevitable. I can’t brag about my own film but we have made certain changes from the original without spoiling the soul of the film. Both Banita and I are in our 20s so the overall vibe will be very young, which has given a different colour to Adithya Varma,” he adds.

Dhruv Vikram in Adithya Varma.

Even before Adithya Varma, Dhruv acted in Varma, another version of Arjun Reddy directed by Bala. But after watching the final version, they decided to scrap the entire film and restart with a fresh team. “I was inspired by the determination of my dad. Yes, the initial few days after the scrap was difficult but later we all worked together and delivered our best, thanks to my dad who was on the sets every day. He sat along with me and the rest of the cast during the dubbing session”, says Dhruv.

“Forget the shooting spot, he made sure to be with me during the important promotional campaigns. He was there with me in this process of making Adithya Varma. I would also say what you are going to see on the big screen is the younger version of my dad”, says Dhruv.

Dhruv studied acting at The Lee Strasberg Institute in New York. “What they taught us in school helped me realise how to get into the skin of the character. My real character will not react like Adithya Varma but the script demands that I should react in a way that is quite opposite to my personality. To perform like another person, I need to know how the particular character behaves, the justification for his mistakes and his overall history. All these things were taught to me at my institute. Varma also helped me to overcome the camera fear,” says Dhruv.

“I understand that my entry to Tamil cinema wasn’t difficult because my dad is a star but it also makes me feel more responsible. Though I’m still waiting to know the response of the audiences, I've decided that I should act in films that excite me and not sign movies for the sake of it,” he says.

Before signing off, when asked if there are any changes made to Adithya Varma considering the criticism Kabir Singh faced upon its release, Dhruv says, "Well, yes we have made quite a few changes. I guess we tried to portray how the other characters around the protagonist react because of his anger management issue so the focus is not just on my role. But as I said, I don't want to speak highly of my film. I'm excited and anxious to know the response of our audiences."