Dhruv Vikram says he's a Vijay fan, compares Bison prep to Odysseus' 10 years at sea

Actor Dhruv Vikram opened up about his admiration for Vijay and his experience of preparing for Bison at the India Today Tamil Nadu Roundtable in Chennai on Monday, August 17. Speaking at The Leela Palace, Dhruv described himself as a longtime Vijay fan and expressed his respect for the actor-turned-politician’s journey. He also drew a striking comparison between his preparation for Mari Selvaraj’s Bison and Odysseus’ long journey before reaching Troy.Dhruv Vikram on meeting CM VijaySpeaking about meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay at the event, Dhruv said he has always admired the actor and believes he represents a visionary and revolutionary spirit.“I have always been a fan of Vijay sir. He stands for being a visionary and revolutionary in the truest sense. I have the utmost respect for him in this journey and conviction in this next chapter of his life. He's inspired generations, and I am one among them.”Dhruv Vikram on his Bison journeyDhruv said he was aware that Bison would be physically demanding when Mari Selvaraj first approached him. He said he was particularly grateful for the opportunity to work with the acclaimed filmmaker, whose cinema he had followed. “When Mari Selvaraj sir first approached me, he said it'd be a physically demanding film. I was very much aware. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity. Because here's a filmmaker who is extremely acclaimed, whose cinema I like, who has just worked with Dhanush in Karnan and who has made films like Pariyerum Perumal.”However, Dhruv admitted that he initially had a daunting question: whether he would be able to understand kabaddi well enough to portray it convincingly. “Somewhere it came with an over looming, daunting fear of whether I'd be able to understand the sport or not.” Mari gave him time to immerse himself in the sport. During the process, Dhruv met several people who had played kabaddi for their villages and even secured government jobs through the sport. What fascinated him was their relationship with the game and the way they approached its physicality.“I started playing and Mari gave me time to immerse myself in it. I met many people who had played for their village, who had gotten government jobs because of the sport. What intrigued me was their relationship with the sport. The way they dealt with aggression and violence in the sport was graceful and non-chalant for the lack of a better word. I think the sport made them feel alive.Dhruv said the players he trained alongside often continued playing despite severe injuries, something that gave him a new perspective on their relationship with kabaddi.“That was very big part of the journey where I'd play with the boys with severe injuries, even worse than mine. When I was sitting out because I couldn't risk breaking another bone, they'd be playing with their injuries aggressively and enthusiastically. I think the sport made them feel alive.”He also spoke about how deeply embedded kabaddi is in the communities he encountered during his preparation.“In those parts of the state, they say that Kabaddi is in their blood. If you ask them, they cannot point to a reason to tell you why they like the game. The game is like a religion to them.”Dhruv recalls breaking his handThe actor also recalled several moments with the players that stayed with him. He mentioned a player named Abhishek, who had a heavily taped knee but appeared unfazed by it.“I have had multiple core memories with the boys I met over time. There was a boy named Abhishek who had a huge tape on his knee. When I asked him if he took TT, he said that he's used to it.”Dhruv himself suffered an injury during the shoot, breaking his left hand just before an intense training sequence. He recalled how Mari reacted when someone suggested that he could continue playing with a cast.“During shoot, I broke my left hand just before an intense leg of the training. My coach walked up to Mari Selvaraj and said that a bone is broken on my left hand. Some one on the set said that we can put a cast on him and let him play, and the director went, ‘Do you think his body and ours are same?’ That really struck me.”For Dhruv, the moment highlighted the difference between an actor training for a role and athletes whose lives have been shaped by physical labour and sport.“My director, the boys and players - their lives were shaped by the use of their body, the way they used their body on the ground or on the field. There was a kind of resilience and strength that came from living their life. It automatically reflected in the way they played their game as well," he said.Dhruv compares Bison prep to Odysseus’ journeyDhruv also compared the long process of preparing for Bison with Odysseus' journey before reaching Troy. He said the actual filming was merely the culmination of a much longer period of preparation and immersion.Reflecting on his time at acting school in New York, Dhruv said he had wanted to be accepted by the people around him. He experienced a similar feeling when he began training alongside the kabaddi players.“Just like when I was studying in acting school in New York, I wanted to be accepted by everyone. The same way, when I met these boys, I wanted them to accept me. Initially it was intimidating, but I wanted them to like me and become a pro," he said.He said spending a significant amount of time away from home, surrounded by animals and his own thoughts, helped him find Kittan, his character in Bison.“Over time, after spending a large chunk of role away from home, with animals and more so alone with my thoughts, somewhere what worked for Kittan, if the role is convincing is because of the vastness of time that was spent in a vicious routine.”Dhruv then drew a comparison with Odysseus' journey:“I'd compare it with 10 years in the beach spent by The Odysseys before entering Troy. Breaking through the gates of Troy and entering in a horse was the last portion of the Bison – the shoot. But prepping for that I felt like I was a limbo on a beach.”Bison Kaalamaadan, directed by Mari Selvaraj and starring Dhruv Vikram, is a sports action drama centred on Kittan, a young man who dreams of making it to the Indian national kabaddi team while navigating caste divisions and violence in his community. The film released in October 2025.For Dhruv, therefore, Bison was not simply about learning the mechanics of kabaddi. The preparation involved spending time with players, understanding their relationship with the sport and absorbing the resilience that shaped their lives — a process he now looks back on as the real journey before the final “gates of Troy” of the shoot.- EndsPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 13:55 IST