How Vikram's transformed for Thangalaan: Shedding 22kg

One of the highlights of the upcoming Tamil movie Thangalaan is Chiyaan Vikram's look. He plays the chief of a tribal community set against the backdrop of British-occupied India. Producer KE Gnanavel Raja recalled that Vikram was a lot heavier when he and director Pa Ranjith first met him for the project.

But after hearing the requirements to play the role of Thangalaan, Vikram immediately went into preparation. "I warned Ranjith about Vikram. 'Don't assume him to be like other heroes. He will start preparing for the movie from today itself, so give the exact timeline.' Ranjith was confident that he would start the movie in three months," recalled Gnanavel.

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As feared by Gnanavel, Ranjith needed an extension of two more months to take the project on the floors. They were both in for a shock when they met Vikram again after a gap of three months. "Vikram had not cut his hair after our first meeting and lost about 22kg. I can only imagine the kind of diet and workout he must have done to achieve such a transformation in three months," he revealed.

Vikram seemingly was not happy with the delay. "Two days later, when I went to meet him again, I was shocked. He had cut his hair," Ranjith noted. But Vikram was so aware of his body that he knew exactly how to achieve the required look just before the shoot.

Not just physically, Vikram also required a lot of research to understand the emotional life of his character in Thangalaan. "I wanted to become that character. Back in the day, nobody would be overnight. My character needed to be slim. I studied the tribal people and their body language—how they walked, sat, and spoke. I was very excited by this role," he said.

"Ranjith gave me an identity as an actor," Vikram added.

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