Vikram on success of his Pongal release Sketch: 'When I heard the story, I had goosebumps. It was very different'

Chiyaan Vikram, who has not had a single release in 2017, is back on screens with the commercial action thriller Sketch which saw the light of day on 12 January worldwide on the occasion of Pongal. With the film holding decently at the box office in Tamil Nadu and other areas, the makers organized a success meet on Tuesday with Vikram presiding over the event. “I had goosebumps while listening to the narration of Sketch”: Vikram Recalling how he landed with Sketch, Vikram said, “We had been on the lookout for a proper commercial script with a different treatment for a long time. Cinematographer Sukumar was the one who suggested me to listen to Vijay Chandar’s story. But I never had the time to listen to his script since I was shooting continuously. Finally, when I heard the story, I had goosebumps. It was very different.” [caption id=“attachment_4306443” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Vikram at the success meet of Sketch[/caption] Vikram also thanked his friend Sukumar for recommending the film and his magnificent cinematography. “I think Sukumar is the heart of the film. His visuals convey the mood of the story beautifully. He worked meticulously to provide a realistic tone for the film, and it’s visible in every frame. I should really thank him for all his inputs,” said Vikram. “I can never forget the love and response I received for my first film Sethu 18 years ago,”: Vikram Heaping praise on Vijay Chander’s filmmaking skills and his ability as a writer, Vikram gushed, “I never expected the story to be this good before I heard it. Vijay and I had complete creative freedom from the production side. It made us opt for fresh casting options, which have clicked well. I’m a fan of his thoughts, dialogues and the sense of humor. He’s also a king of punch dialogues. He told me that he used to practice writing a punch dialogue every day as a habit. He would throw me a punch dialogue instantly whenever I ask him. Thaman is a witness to his music sense. Thaman and Vijay Chandar make a lovely composer-director combo. Thaman’s extraordinary work in the film has been singled out by reviews unanimously.” “I also love Vijay Chandar’s humility. He is someone who always cares for others. He has already watched Sketch 40 times and is enjoying the response of audiences. He thoroughly knows the pulse of the viewers. I correctly understand what a first-hit feels like. Despite doing a lot of films, I can never forget the kind of love and response I received for Sethu. I just want to thank Vijay for being such a wonderful creator and very cooperative on sets,” remembered Vikram. "Sketch’s release in the Gulf region is only next to Rajinikanth’s Kabali," says producer Kalaipuli S Thanu Kabali producer Kalaipuli S Thanu, who is the principal investor in the project and has presented the film in Tamil Nadu under his home banner V Creations, said, “Eight years after Kandasamy, I had the opportunity to work with Chiyaan Vikram in Sketch as an investor. The song ‘Kanave Kanave’ crooned by Vikram provided considerable hype for the film. I have been waiting to work with composer Thaman since a long time and Sketch marked our first collaboration. The chartbuster album he has delivered for the film is one of the major selling points.” Talking about Sketch’s excellent run in overseas markets, Thanu said, “The film was released in 444 screens in Malaysia alone and is running successfully. Rajinikanth’s Kabali was released in the Gulf region in 72 screens. Now, Sketch has received 71 screens, which is a record for Vikram. We are surely planning to work with director Vijay Chandar again for our next film. Among all my productions, Sketch is the first film that I watched four times in the first few days of release.” “Vikram sir gave his nod after half an hour into the narration,” says director Vijay Chandar Sketch marks director Vijay Chandar’s second feature after Simbu’s Vaalu, which bombed at the box office. “When I was about to work with Simbu sir for the Tamil remake of Temper, I got to know that Moving Frames is looking out for scripts. After I narrated the script, they immediately agreed and said it would be a perfect film for Vikram sir. When I went to meet Vikram sir for narration, I was a little nervous. But he made me more comfortable and put me at ease. He listened to the entire story with childlike enthusiasm and gave his nod after half-hour into the narration,” recalled Vijay Chandar. Talking about his working experience with Vikram, he said, “Vikram sir extracted the best out of me every day on the shooting spot. He was the one who encouraged me to pen the lyrics for the opening song. He’s a good photographer too and had helped us conceive some really nice frames and shot compositions during shooting.” Thaman and Vijay share a long-standing friendship right from the days when the latter worked as an assistant to Telugu filmmaker Puri Jagannadh’s Businessman six years back. “Thaman has been a longtime well-wisher of mine. The climax background score has been received really well by audiences across theaters. The last 20 minutes of the film play a crucial role and Thaman’s background score has totally elevated it to a different level,” said Vijay about Thaman’s music.