After Kumki, Vikram Prabhu has chosen yet another unusual role for his upcoming flick titled Wagah, which is directed by Kumaravelan of Haridas fame. While Vikram had to climb the hilly forest terrains of Kurangani for his mahout character in Kumki — in Wagah, he plays the border security force (BSF) officer Vasu. He and the unit had to camp on the Kashmir–Pakistan border for about 59 days for the film’s shoot.
“When Kumaravelan sir approached me for the role, I felt proud. I gave it my nod although I knew it would be a challenging project indeed,” says Vikram. The movie is a love story with patriotic elements set against the backdrop of Kashmir — with actress Ranya playing a Kashmiri girl.
Talking about the obstacles, he says, “We would be shooting for the film on one side — and there’d be real shooting happening on the other! We would hear sounds of bombs from a distance.” (shrugs)
Thanking former late Chief Minister of Kashmir, Mufti Mohamed Syed, for his help in filming Wagah, Vikram explains, “His son-in-law is from Chennai and he contacted them and put in a word. They got all the permission and approval required for our shoot. The Kashmir government, as well as the soldiers helped and gave us a lot of support. IG Vijayakuma, and armyman-turned-filmmaker Major Ravi also guided us earnestly.”
Vikram adds that he could spot many south Indians in the BSF — “They were very friendly and interacted with us in a happy mood.” “As it is, we were working at high altitudes. We would sometimes go to even higher planes, and some of the technicians felt breathlessness — since oxygen supply would be less in such places. But we would not budge before completing the scene!” the Arima Nambi actor reveals.
Imman scores the music, and the movie has Karunas and Sathyan in key roles, and is scheduled for an August 12 release. Lastly, Vikram also confirms to us that the Kumki sequel is in the offing. “Plans are on!” he quips and signs off.
