'We are stubborn people who thought we could make it'

The Vikkals team who've made it big on social media open up about their road to fame

Members of team Vikkals

Imagine starting a YouTube channel in 2019 and in four years growing so much that actor Vijay notices your work and music director AR Rahman emulates your performance. This is the experience that Vikram and team who run Vikkals have had and we caught up with the young group to get to know more about their rise to fame, future plans and more.

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Chennai lad Vikram Arul Vidyapathi (28), the de facto leader of the group, explains who came up with the idea of creating recording Instagram Reels/YouTube Shorts. "After COVID-19 hit, We did not know what to do and for a good six months, we never uploaded a video. Then in March 2022, Hari Muniyappan (25) suggested that we do Reels and then I decided that we will upload a new one every day for the next 100 days. Although we've attempted several concepts, like the one about school annual day dance, the recording Reels basically became our visiting card."

Vikram is also pursuing a career in stand-up comedy

The team, we are told, brings an idea to the table and then refines it before recording a video. Many Reels and Shorts released by Vikkals has crossed over a million views.

If there is one thing that is a constant, it is that the team, which also includes Sibi Jayakumar (26) and Adhithya (26), hailing from Coimbatore and Madurai respectively, keeps its performances silly and casual, one of the primary reasons why the lads keep their facial hair while portraying a female character in their videos.

The first recording reel from the team which crossed a million views was created thanks to an idea pitched by Hari Muniyappan (pictured)

"Reels are beautiful when they are flawed. I can't make them perfect for the sake it. They should be simple, silly and that's the charm. We do things that are necessary to keep them that way," says Vikram.

Their endeavours to make it big in the cinema industry is now bearing fruits, thanks to the fame the team has received of late. Vikram and Hari have already acted in LGM, a movie which is set to hit cinemas soon. Sibi has also done a movie, and the opportunities for the team keep coming.

Sibi takes up prominent roles in the content produced by the team

Although entering the cinema industry is not easy, accumulating followers on social media does help one land a role, says Vikram. "One can't enter the industry that easily, it takes time. Today, we can also enter cinema by gathering a strong following on social media. Even people playing the lead roles in stage plays these days are those who have a strong audience online. Basically, we are stubborn people who just thought we could make it big by using Vikkals as a stepping stone," he states.

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Finally, we ask about the experience the team had while performing a parody of a song from the recently released flick Maamannan in front of AR Rahman, the film's music director. "We all felt lucky. These are things that nobody can plan. We are very grateful for the opportunity," ends Vikram who will be performing a one-hour stand-up special at the Music Academy later this month.