The last time Ilayathalapathy Vijay gave an interview was after the release of Nanban and then the man went into hiding.
It has always been a part of his strategy to meet the media, when a film releases and this time, the actor looks upbeat and confident about his ambitious film Thuppakki releasing on Diwali day.

He has always been acknowledged as one of the most popular superstars in Kollwood. And his astounding popularity among fans and family audiences is unmatched.  In this exclusive chat-a-thon with Sridevi Sreedhar, he sheds his famous reticence and actually talks non-stop.

What is your state of mind?
(smiles) I feel fitter, stronger, content and confident.

Judging by the promos of the film, you are on a  totally different avatar. Sauve, classy and displaying that well-built body….
The script demanded me to look like that. It is a stylishly made film, which is set in Mumbai. It will have all the masalas associated with my films but with a touch of class. I would rather love to term it as- "the Murugadoss touch". Thuppakki is all aboutMurugadoss, Murugadoss and more Murugadoss(smiles).

How did Santhosh Sivan agree to be a part of this film, as normally he never works on a hard core commercial film?
Again.. I would say-thanks to the script. If not, will Santhosh spend so much time on this film? He is fast, and every frame looks like a dream.

Did you watch the film?
Yes, I did watch the film with producer Kalaipuli S Thanu and Murugadoss. I would like the film to speak.

As the film is said to be stylish, will it have any punch dialogues like in all your films?
(Laughs)Padame punch thaan (The film itself is a punch), so there was no need for punch dialogues.

Comedy is always worked out well in your films. Does Thuppakki also have some light moments?
Satyan is there but the love scenes between me and Kajal the heroine is worked out in a hilarious manner. Watch out for the bickering and the one-man- upmanship between us, which will be a riot.

How do you rate the songs of Harris?
The audio is already a hit and the best thing is that all the songs come at the right time in the film. I love all the songs but in the film my favourites are Alaikaa Laikaa, Google Google and Antartica. The locations, costumes and look is awesome.

Earlier you never cared about your costumes but off-late you seem to be taking a lot of care about our look.  Do you have a personal stylist?
Yes.. that's true. In my earlier films, I used to wear whatever the costumer gave me but after Pokkiri I take personal interest in what I wear. Nalini Sriram helped me a lot then and now in Thuppakki I had Komal, a Mumbai-based stylist. My wife Sangeetha also picks up clothes for me.  I think, it's very important to look good on screen as every frame has a colour code and look.

In future, what kind of roles and films would you like to do?
I would like to do variety of roles and not just formula, action or comedy. I'd love to work with all good directors which will be a good amalgamation of art and business. I am starting work with director AL Vijay by end of November.

Will you be doing another film like the mass Sivakasi or Tirupachi?
Why not? If a good script comes my way, I am open to doing such village based subjects. People think its easy to dish out such commercial potboilers but even in a predictable premise the screenplay and twists have to be in sync for such films to work at the box-office.

This year in the first 10 months of 2012 all big budget star movies have failed to create an impact at box-office. Do you think this is something of worry for film trade?
I can't comment about others films, but definitely it is not a good trend. I really hopeThuppakki will buck the trend and be successful for all concerned. I have done my best and it has come out well.

What are you doing this Diwali?
My life is all about movies and so always its catching up with all Diwali releases on opening day. Spending time with family and bursting crackers with children.