'Why are we actors scared to explore darkness?'

'The darker it is, the more our chances of emerging stronger in the light.'

Vijay Sethupathi wants to do work that will better the lives of the people who watch his films.

He did Merry Christmas for all the right reasons.

"It ticked off all the right boxes for me," he tells Subhash K Jha.

"Everyone associated with the project knew we were doing something special, something unique, not done before. Now when the appreciation has started pouring in for both the Hindi and Tamil versions, I feel our hard work is paying off.

He added that his audience in Tamil Nadu thought the film was dubbed in Tamil.

"It took them a while to understand that Merry Christmas was shot in Hindi and Tamil and that is my voice in both languages," he says.

He recalls his innumerable meetings with Director Sriram Raghavan: "I wanted to work with him. When he offered me Merry Christmasm it felt Godsent.

"As an actor, I am always hungry. I want new experiences constantly. This was something I had not done before. It was romantic and a bit dark. Why are we actors scared to explore darkness? The darker it is, the more our chances of emerging stronger in the light."

Vijay, who celebrates his birthday on January 16, says he immediately bonded with Sriram.

"We met 40-50 times and not for just work or to discuss scenes. I think it is very important for me, as an actor, to get to know how my director thinks, how his mind works. I have to be on the same chapter.

"Sriram and I would just meet, not even talk. Just share silences. Have coffee together. With time, the bond between us grew. I was able to understand what was required of me as an actor. When we shot, Sriram could tell exactly what I was thinking, and I could tell what he was thinking."

This is how he works with all his directors.

"I get to know them so I can know the character. The people I play on the screen are a reflection of the directors' thought process. When I was doing Super Deluxe, where I played a transgender character, I tried to understand Director Thiagarajan Kumararaja to get a grip on my character."

Was Super Deluxe the most challenging character of Vijay Sethupathi's career?

"I wouldn't say that," he answers.

"To me, every character is a challenge. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing it. I approach every role with the same sense of curiosity and ignorance. I tell the director to guide me as I am stupid and ignorant.

"What I mean is, I am a student every time I do a film. I never sit back and look at my performances with a sense of satisfaction. When one film is over, I am thinking about the next. There is a constant feeling of hunger and curiosity that keeps me going in search of new characters."

There is also a constant need to make his audience happy.

"I don't want to insult them by calling them my fans. There are the people who have made me what I am. I have people reaching out to me from Japan and China. A lady came to Chennai from Japan to meet me. I met her and fed her South Indian food.

"When I asked her how she liked it, she surprised me by answering in Tamil. She had learnt the Tamil language especially for me. This kind of love is a blessing. A gift from God. You can't take it for granted."