It is fair to say that Vighnesh is a staunch supporter of the live theatrical form of entertainment.
Vighnesh Dheenadhayalan
Hailing from the culturally vibrant city of Madurai (India), known for producing some of Tamil cinema's finest talents like Padhma Bhushan Shri. Vijayakanth and “Vaigai Puyal” Vadivelu, Vighnesh Dheenadhayalan has always been surrounded by the magic of cinema. His artistic journey began not on a soundstage but in the nostalgic alleys of his childhood, where cinema was not just a pastime but a family tradition.
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“It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that my grandmother ran a small movie club back in the 80s,” he reminisces. “She would gather women from the neighborhood and head to the theatres after sending the kids to school and be back after the matinee show to receive them. With age this passion of hers only grew, and that was evident on the night of Deepavali in 2012” he says. On top of it being one of the busiest nights in India, it was also the release of Thalapathy Vijay’s blockbuster movie Thuppakki. Vighnesh and his entire family headed to watch the movie in a local cinema in Madurai. But because of the frenzy for the star the theatre was overflowing. Both Fans and Cops were galore outside the movie theatre, so much so that his mom wanted to take the kids home. But none of this deterred Vighnesh’s grandmother Suriyakumari, as she stormed through the entrance with him and his cousins in her hand. “This strong passion was passed on to me naturally.”
It wasn’t long before young Vighnesh found himself immersed in storytelling - even stepping into the spotlight in a school play. “My English teacher, Mr. N. Srinivasan, saw something in me and cast me as Julius Caesar in the Shakespearean classic Julius Caesar” he says with a smile. After a short week-long rehearsal, we were ready to open the production. During the first show, everything went well until the scene where Caesar gets killed. “Right as the curtains went down after the murder scene, I came backstage, changed my costume and was ready to enjoy the rest of the play from the bleachers. But my classmate who plays Brutus, had an unfortunate stomach issue, and had to go home. So, my teacher just looked at me for a good second and I immediately knew the assignment. I changed into my classmate’s costume and headed back to finish the play as the guy who just killed me”, the smile has become a laugh now!
He was able to jump in at the last minute, because he had a great fervor for classical plays even at that young age. That early taste of performance sparked a deeper ambition that took him to explore plays and movies from all over the world. This ambition was further fueled by his admiration for American art films and New York-based cinema. “Films like The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Spider-Man have had a deep impact on me,” he says. “New York always felt like the heart of storytelling. So, when I got the opportunity to study acting in the US, I knew it had to be NYC.”
He studied at the prestigious New York University’s Tisch school of the Arts. “I got into multiple film programs around the States, but I wanted my roots to be in Theatre, and there was no better place than NYU”, he says. “Theatre is where an actor can find their voice. It teaches you about your body which is the only tool in an actor’s toolbox. Yes, in the modern day, the theatrical industry is more concentrated in big cities and people’s interest in having an in-house experience is fading away. But outside the business side of things, theatre is the best acting teacher. It is where one builds rigor and finds their process. It is like playing a test match during the peak summer season. As an audience member too, if done right, it is a different level of engagement that is very visceral and intuitive.” It is fair to say that Vighnesh is a staunch supporter of the live theatrical form of entertainment.
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