Vikram
Vikram is a film actor who predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. Vikram was born as Vikram Kennedy Vinod Raj on 17 April 1966 in Madras, Tamil Nadu. Vikram’s father is a Christian and mother is a Hindu.
Vikram began his career by modelling in advert films for brands including Chola Tea, TVS Excel and Alwyn watches. During the final year of his M.B.A programme at Loyola College, he was recognised by the film industry, with veteran director C. V. Sridhar approaching him for a lead role in a film.
His father ran away from home to become an actor but ended up doing small supporting roles. His father motivated him to take up acting and asked him to get training in acting and various dance forms. But he also insisted that he complete his education. Vikram did his graduation in English Literature.
In his college days he met with a motorbike accident and a truck crushed his leg, to save his leg from being amputated, he underwent 23 surgeries and was in the hospital for three years.
Vikram has promoted various social causes, with several of his charity work being linked to characters he had portrayed in his films. He has been a brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust and a school for special children Vidya Sudha, which he stayed at during the making of Deiva Thirumagal. Moreover he has had a long-term association since the making of his film Kasi with the Kasi Eye Care, which does free eye surgeries for the poor. Vikram has also set up The Vikram Foundation through his fan club to provide heart operations for the poor, educate poor children and rehabilitate victims from natural disasters. Every year Vikram has celebrated his birthday doing charity work across Tamil Nadu and in 2008, he organised a camp where a thousand of his fans pledged their eyes in an eye donation appeal.
Vikram met his wife, Shailaja Balakrishnan, for the first time when he was in crutches, following three years of being hospital-ridden after his broken leg in the late 1980s. Vikram got married to Shailaja in Guruvayoor
