The Kerala Story actor Vijay Krishna recently opened up about his experience of working in the film, revealing how he prepared for the role of an ISIS militant in the Sudipto Sen-helmed movie.

“Research was a crucial part of my preparation process. I relied on archived interviews of ISIS militants and documentaries on their day-to-day operations. As an actor, I also had to rely on my instincts and bring my unique interpretation to the role,” he said.

The actor, who shared screen space with Adah Sharma in the movie, was prompted to take up the role of an antagonist because it offered a challenge. “As an actor who's hungry to play different characters, I'm always looking for new challenges to push my boundaries and explore different facets of my craft. In my previous projects, I played a charming boy-next-door who's irreparably in love, a brave and patriotic Indian Army captain and a comical Haryanvi Jaat. That's why I jumped at the opportunity to take on a character that was completely different from anything I had played before,” he explained.

Talking about the negative criticism received by the film, Vijay claimed that The Kerala Story was not against any religion, caste or creed. “It’s simply a portrayal of the harsh reality of extremism and the havoc it wreaks on people’s lives.The film sheds light on the workings of ISIS in our country. The Kerala Story is a human story and it’s doing well because those who have watched it have connected to the humane part of the story.”

Vijay is currently involved in two projects in Hindi and one in Kannada. “I’m also preparing for two more projects that will go into production soon. I’m eagerly waiting to bring these characters to the screen and see how they will be received by the audience and see if I'll be able to surprise them yet again.”

Earlier, Vijay had appeared in Kannada film Act 1978 and Hindi web show Avrodh Season 2 alongside Abir Chatterjee.