Vidyut Jammwal has been pleasantly surprised by how much his Street Fighter co-stars know about Indian culture, especially the country's traditional martial arts. The actor, who is set to make his Hollywood debut with the upcoming film, says several of his international co-stars are familiar with kalaripayattu and even know how to blow a conch, something he believes many Indians cannot do.
“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 shared in an interview with Hindustan Times.
Vidyut, who has trained in kalaripayattu since the age of three, plays Dhalsim in the film. The character, known to fans of the Street Fighter video game series, is a martial artist who uses yoga and supernatural abilities during fights. For the actor, the role felt familiar because of the character's connection to martial arts and yoga.
“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,” he said.
While the film brings one of gaming's popular characters to the big screen, working with some of Hollywood's biggest action stars was another reason Vidyut was excited about the project. The cast includes 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,” said the actor.
Vidyut said spending time with them also changed the way he looked at success. He described the experience of being around these personalities as life-changing.
“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 explained.
For Vidyut Jammwal, Street Fighter is also an opportunity to introduce kalaripayattu to a much wider audience through a major Hollywood production. Asked whether the film could give the ancient Indian martial art a moment similar to the global popularity kung fu gained through Bruce Lee, the actor said its time will come.
He said, “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 scheduled to release in theatres on October 16.
