Actor Vijay Krishna, who was previously seen in ‘Avrodh Season 2’, has been getting a lot of love and appreciation for playing the antagonist Ishak in ‘The Kerala Story’, helmed by director Sudipto Sen. Starring alongside him is a brave cast including actors like Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Pranay Pachauri amongst others.
Vijay recently opened up to share his experience from playing a charming boy next door on-screen to playing a rebellious ISIS Militant.
He said, "As an actor who values non-violence and compassion, taking on the role of Ishak was a challenging experience. I had to set aside my own personal beliefs and judgements to find authenticity in playing a character whose moral compass is completely twisted. While most of the world will see Ishak as a villain, it was my job as an actor to try and see him as the hero that he sees himself as."
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He further added, "Playing a character on the other side of morality can be difficult, but poetry helped me to see the human side of Ishak. During my audition scene, I had a moment of insight into Ishak's innocence and naivete which helped me to let go of my judgments and embrace the character fully. I hope I have done justice to the character."
Sharing about the briefings he received from director Sudipto Sen and his experience working with him, he informed, "Sudipto Sen's direction in The Kerala Story was truly remarkable. He placed great emphasis on understanding the internal state of each character, which is evident in the film. While he had conducted extensive research on the story beforehand, he also gave his actors the creative freedom to interpret and develop the characters in their own unique ways. This collaborative process allowed us to delve deeper into our roles, and each scene was handled with great care and sensitivity. We frequently exchanged ideas on how to approach a particular scene, and even added improvisational touches which further enhanced the authenticity of the story."
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Narrating one of the moments on the kind of responses he is receiving, he said, “I was watching the film in the theatre with my partner. At some point, because of how engrossed we were in the film, my partner refused to hold my hand because of how scary Ishaak was. But soon after, I saw another lady sitting next to her, a complete stranger, who was holding her hand tightly. Both of them were weeping uncontrollably. That was a very special moment for me. Also during the end credits, most of the audience was unable to leave the theatre. They were just standing there quietly even after the film ended. I've not seen anything like that ever before, let alone experiencing it."
