One day, I got a call from Mani Ratnam sir's assistant, who said that the ace director was impressed after watching 'Naan' trailer and wanted me to do a cameo in 'Kadal.' I was on cloud nine and my joy knew no bounds. However, I had no other option than to say no since the date required by Mani Ratnam was exactly the release date of 'Naan.'
Vijay Antony
I still can't believe that I was accepted by Telugu audiences because I don't know Telugu. Without knowing me, the Telugu people gave me their unconditional love.
Music is always my first priority.
I get commercial acclaim because of critical acclaim and it is a chain reaction.
I was always toying with the idea of acting.
Sometimes when it comes to music, effects or sound engineering, it is difficult to achieve what you want within a fixed time frame.
My characters in each of my films bear no resemblance to each other.
Though I have started pursuing acting, there is no stopping for me from scoring music because music has always been my passion, though acting is my interest.
I will always endeavour to bring out the best films.
Music is always with me and I don't need a special space for it.
Intelligent decisions may fail you but one's instincts cannot.
New directors are safe. They tell you the full story and since they are new, they try to put their heart and soul into the project.
I have always aimed for versatility.
I would love to work on a film which would be close to Hollywood standards.
I am wary of unknown street food, available in plenty in places such as Singapore and Malaysia.
Since 'Naan' happens to be my production, I've decided to use this as a platform to help new talents.
I want people to appreciate my efforts in creating different genres of music and also the fact that I am now taking to acting in my own production.
As actors, we are expected to come up with an exaggerated performance, which is far from reality.
I became a producer because nobody was ready to finance my films.
Don't call me a hero. I would prefer myself being called as an actor.
Even if I was running an idli shop for a living, I know that my idlis will taste good because that's how highly I rate my work ethic.
Kolaigaran' is not a typical hero-villain subject. We explored the other side of human nature, which is grey.
Politicians are the same everywhere.
Compared to my previous films, 'Kaasi' is special. All credit goes to the director.
I had a blind belief in myself and became a music director and an actor.
I knew my limitations even when I was a music director.
I always wanted to give opportunities to young talents. And Deena Devarajan is one.
I was always ranked last in my class. My problem was that I would obtain a just pass and move on to the next class!
I didn't know music either, but I became a composer. Acting too is like that. It's like cooking for your siblings when your mother is away. You have a responsibility and you try to do a good job.
I'm indeed excited to be termed as a hero who can command commercial respect in two languages at the same time.
I don't know acting, but I choose good stories and portray emotions according to the story.
Right from my first film, I've introduced several singers and lyricists to the industry.
If my film fails, I never think it was because the script was weak.
I'm a technician whose efforts go into hiding my limitations as an actor.
I can't shout, I can't cry convincingly, and please don't make me dance.
Naan' performed admirably, and the people have since associated me with that character. I am in no hurry to change that image.
The scripts that I take should be solid in terms of content; only then will my inability as an actor not show up on the screen.
I work for every film with the same amount of diligence.
I'm not a good actor.
I only treat myself as an audience with each film, I enjoy different stories.
Every film is like my own kid; I don't treat them differently.
I'm not a Kamal Haasan or a Sivaji Ganesan, I know I'm Vijay Antony.
To be honest, I have never thought about the intricacies of a script.
I'm an emotional person. I chose films based on emotions.
With the advanced editing technologies, it's not difficult to play double roles these days. It can be done easily.
I find it easy to be myself as an actor.
I like to produce my own movies.
Only after coming to Chennai did I come to know that I know nothing about music. People in Chennai are so talented in Carnatic, ghazals, etc. They can play Piano, etc so well.
It's one thing to narrate a story and another thing to execute it.
After the success of 'Bicchagadu,' I am more happy, energetic and confident.
