Vikram was in several films.
In the early 2000s , Vikram appeared in a series of masala films , with Dhill -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , Gemini -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , Dhool -LRB- 2003 -RRB- and Saamy -LRB- 2003 -RRB- becoming commercially successful ventures.
However , the success of Bala 's tragedy film Sethu -LRB- 1999 -RRB- , in which Vikram appeared as a rogue turned lover , started Vikram 's successful career as an actor.
In 2003 , Vikram 's performance as a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders in Bala 's Pithamagan saw him win the National Film Award for Best Actor , with his character only speaking a couple of lines of dialogue in the entire film.
His appearance as an idealistic lawyer with multiple personality disorder in Shankar 's blockbuster Anniyan -LRB- 2005 -RRB- also won critical acclaim , as did his appearance as a superhero in Kanthaswamy -LRB- 2009 -RRB-.
Vikram 's portrayal of Veeraiya , a tribal leader inspired by the Ramayana character Ravana , in Mani Ratnam 's Raavanan saw him secure further accolades , as did his appearance as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy in Deiva Thirumagal -LRB- 2011 -RRB-.
He consequently appeared in multiple get-ups as a bodybuilder and a crippled hunchback , losing up to 35 kilograms for sequences , during the making of Shankar 's romantic thriller I -LRB- 2015 -RRB- and won rave reviews from critics for his performance.
