Vijay Deverakonda choked back his tears at the most recently held South Indian International Movie Awards 2022 (SIIMA), where he indirectly addressed the failure of his highly ambitious film, Liger, which officially introduced him to Bollywood. “I promise to you that great cinema will be made,” the actor had said while accepting an award at the ceremony.
Now in an exclusive interview with us, Vijay spoke at length about how he dealt with the failure and all the criticism that came along his way after Liger bombed at the box office. Liger, directed by Puri Jagannadh, also featured an extended cameo of boxing legend Mike Tyson.
“I don’t know, if I’ve handled things with grace, I just handle them the way I know how it is,” Vijay told us. “It is my reaction to whatever is happening at that point. I just know that I’m very honest with my emotions and feelings. And if that is what I feel at that point, I express it that particular way. And I know that when it is truly what I feel when it is not something I’m saying to get a reaction or to be part of the popular opinion at that point or to get traction when you know that it’s what you feel inside, even if it’s received well or if it’s not received well, because it can go either way once it goes out into the world, it can be perceived in any way. Well, I just know that when it is something I truly believe in, and I say that, and I will always stand by it. And I will not be affected by how it’s received. So, that’s how I just deal with stuff always,” Vijay added.
Vijay, who has a number of super hits under his belt, has made a name for himself in the film industry without any godfather. He is currently extending his support to fresh and young talents of India by being the face of the country’s biggest hip-hop league, Vivid Shuffle, whose sixth edition took place in Vijay’s hometown, Hyderabad, on Sunday.
Hip-Hop as a music genre has been seen as a weapon of the oppressed to express themselves. When asked about his mode of expressing when he faced rejections, the ‘Arjun Reddy’ star said, “I think facing rejection or being wronged is like the most expected and most normal part of life. I think we should just accept that it is going to happen. And, how you deal with it is to show what you’re capable of, to get back to work and show your work and hopefully find platforms where you can express this work of yours and let the world see it. And if you’re talented enough and if you’re good at what you do, you will find your audience.”
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Talking about his association with the festival, Vijay said, “This is the third season that I did with Breezer Vivid Shuffle, and it was their sixth season and the first time we started off during a lockdown. And I thought it was quite creative of them to be able to put together something like this even in the lockdown. While we were all sitting at home and doing nothing, they created an opportunity for such a big show. And what I was most excited about this time was that we actually got to go on ground and see the style and the talent and entire atmosphere of the Breezer Vivid Shuffle hip hop festival.”
