There is a lot of obscenity on TV: Vijay

Duniya Vijay, it would seem, is making a habit out of playing a gangster in his films, be it Slum Bala, Bheema Theeradalli, or, for that matter, his upcoming release, RX Soori. Choosing these films, though, has not been a conscious decision. “I know that I am not Mahesh Babu. I have a certain look and that seems to work for these kind of roles. I have learnt to work within my limitations and make the most of them.As for the gangster films I have done, they have been based on real-life stories and those are exciting to work on,” says Vijay.
Given that he is a veteran of sorts in this genre of films, the actor says that he is often asked if he is unduly putting the spotlight on rowdyism and glamorizing it. “We have never tried to say that crime pays, but I want the youth to understand that a life of crime will not make a star out of them and it is, most definitely, not a sure-shot route to success in life. Don’t get taken in by the power that gangsters appear to have. It is not worth it,” says Vijay, adding, “Frankly, the leaders of our country should make eradicating crime and corruption a part of the Swachh Bharath movement.”
The fact remains, though, that RX Soori has been rated A for its violent content. “It is unfair to highlight the censor certification when there is a lot more obscenity being passed off as prime-time television programming. These days children have easy access to such vulgarity on TV and on their smartphones. The certification we got is not so much about the violence, but for a couple of scenes that we just could not afford to delete. What is also being overlooked in the process is that this film is about a true underworld love story. Yes, there is action, as is expected in a film starring me, but there is a beautiful romantic track as well. All love stories have their own problems, and what we have explored are the issues with a romance involving a gangster,” says Vijay.
His films apart, these days, there is not much that is heard about Vijay. And, considering that the trouble in his personal life was the talk of town not long ago, one wonders if it is a conscious decision. “I got practically no support from anyone in the industry when I was going through a bad phase in my personal life. The whole incident taught me a valuable lesson — to mind my own business. I go to work and return home to my children. I am happy that way,” he says.