Street Fighter marks Indian actor Vidyut Jammwal’s grand Hollywood debut. The action star plays Dhalsim, a popular character from the games. Ahead of the film’s release, Vidyut speaks with Hindustan Times about taking kalaripayattu globally with Dhalsim and working alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood on the film.
‘Dhalsim is very close to who I am’
Vidyut’s casting as Dhalsim has been praised by fans due to the similarity between the actor and the character. Vidyut says, “He is a martial artist, a kalaripayattu practitioner. He does yoga. Of course, he does that yoga flame and the supernatural things that I can’t. But it was very close to me.”
The actor calls Street Fighter ‘a movie that has been waiting to come out, that fans have been waiting for years’. But he adds that he had one more reason to do the film: to share the screen with some action legends. Apart from Vidyut, Street Fighter also stars names like Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, 50 Cent, and Jason Momoa. “For me, I was looking forward to working with legends I have always known. I was excited I would get to be with these people rather than just meeting them for a party,” says the actor.
‘These guys know kalaripayattu better than many Indians’
Vidyut says he was surprised by how attuned these action stars were to Indian culture and practices, including kalaripayattu, the ancient Indian martial art. “These 9-10 global legends know more about kalaripayattu than many Indians, whether it is 50 Cent or Noah Centineo. They can blow the shankh (conch). This is an Indian heritage that people can’t do,” he shares.
The 45-year-old says the experience of working with these Hollywood stars was life-changing for him. “As a person, I have been around some of the strongest men in the world, and being in their presence and witnessing them has been a life-changing experience. These are men you can really hang around with. These are different people. They are successful, yet secure. They are wealthy, but humble. There is no pretence,” he explains.
Kalaripayattu’s Bruce Lee moment?
Vidyut has trained in kalaripayattu since the age of 3. He remains one of India’s best-known practitioners of the martial art. The actor finds it humbling to be able to take it globally with a mainstream Hollywood film. Ask him if this is kalaripayattu’s Bruce Lee moment, and he says, “ If I could do what Bruce Lee did for kung fu? Kung fu had its good fortune. Kalaripayattu will have its time too.”
Street Fighter is the third live-action feature-length film based on the Street Fighter video game series by Capcom. The film will release in theatres on October 16.