I.M. Vijayan enjoys second stardom

N. Ananthanarayanan

When he was a scrawny lad kicking a cloth ball around in southern India, I.M. Vijayan dreamed of becoming a football champion.

Now the top Indian striker has set his sights on being a movie star.

The lanky player with a ready grin is aiming to kick off an acting career after winning rave reviews for his first Malayalam-language film "Santham" (Peace) in which he plays a young man who kills his friend and then is tormented by remorse.

His second movie, "Aakashathile Paravagal" (Birds in the sky), in which he plays a soccer-playing villain, is set for release in the next couple of months.

The former captain whose uncanny ball skills were honed on the streets like some of his Latin American soccer heroes said his film stardom "began by accident" when he met acclaimed Indian director K. Jayaraj.

"I met Jayaraj at a function and he shocked me by offering me the hero's role in his film "Santham"," Vijayan told Reuters.

Until then, "my only experience in front of the camera was as a player and in giving media interviews", he said.

His hopes of a serious film career got a further boost when he was offered the lead role in his second Malayalam film, "Aakashathile Paravagal", directed by K. Vinu.

HELPED WIN AWARD

His powerful portrayal of the young man who kills his best friend played a big role in "Santham" winning a top national film award earlier this year, film critics said.

The story was based on real-life rivalry between two political parties that have claimed the lives of young men in the towns of Kannur and Thalassery in the Kerala.

Vijayan, who has been part of the Indian team for over 11 years, said he had no clue about acting when he started but Jayaraj tutored him step-by-step in every expression and gesture. "Trying to play the character, I became that character myself."

Vijayan has been a highly recognised face among sports fans though the soccer team ranks a lowly 121 in the world.

In pursuing acting, he is following a path trod by many sports figures, mainly cricketers. Former Indian cricket stars Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sandip Patil and Salil Ankola have all played parts in Bollywood films.

Vijayan, who has played for top Indian soccer clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, JCT and now represents another national league side FC Kochi, said he was ready to act in more films.

But the player, who retires in three years, said he was keen not to let acting take over his soccer career.

"I'm getting chances but because of my football, I'm not pushing too hard," he said.

His soccer dream almost ended at the age of 12 when his father died, leaving his family struggling. But Jose Paramban, a soccer enthusiast in his home town Thrissur, got the boy enrolled in a state-run soccer academy and Vijayan has never looked back.

Vijayan has also started an academy in Thrissur to train boys aged 11 to 14 years. "If I can give a player from my academy to the Indian team, it will be great," he said.