It’s been 4 years from the day of release and even now, looking back, the whole experience only brings back fond memories and great lessons.
Working with Vivek sir was fun, no doubt but there are some moments and gestures which have stuck with me. All through the project what stood out was his willingness to trust and give younger, newer talents the trust and space to be seen.
For me specifically, in every screening and theatre visit, he made sure to pull me in when he was addressing the audience and media. It was his film. He was the lead and there are no two ways about it but he wanted to, every single time, make sure I was getting noticed by the media and audience. He even referred to me as the hero but I knew that it was just him being sweet. He later even tweeted about me. None of this was asked or required of him yet he did.
As I said, his placing the trust, and giving the space to make mistakes, learn, and get noticed was truly special and something not many can willingly do.
I am forever grateful for this gesture and hope to pass it forward as I grow in this industry. Tomorrow marks 4 years of “Vellaipookal”. If you still haven’t watched it, I request you to go watch it on Prime and support us, just the way Vivek sir did. 🙂