 Vikram was educated at Montfort School , Yercaud , a boarding school in a hill station near Salem and graduated in 1983 . He has mentioned that he used his opportunities at school well by taking part in karate , horseback riding and swimming and noted that such early exposure to activities gave him confidence as a youngster . Vikram lurked in the fringes of the school 's theatre club for a long period and often took part in backstage work before being handed the lead role in a school adaptation of Molière 's The Doctor in Spite of Himself after the original lead had contracted chicken pox . Despite expressing his interest to join films after school , his father forced him to go through education with Vikram subsequently graduating in English literature from Loyola College , Chennai and working half way through an MBA programme . Through the prolific dramatics club , Vikram appeared in stage productions including college adaptations of The Caine Mutiny Court @-@ Martial and Peter Shaffer 's Black Comedy , receiving best actor awards for his performances . After winning a Best Actor Award at a function held at IIT Madras , Vikram was knocked down by a truck during a major motorbike accident on the way home and suffered a serious leg injury . He remained hospital @-@ ridden bed for three years during college and subsequently went through twenty three surgeries to stop his leg being amputated . Vikram then returned to finish the final year of his degree after his accident and secured permission to finish his dissertation at home , as he was only able to walk on crutches for a short period . 
