Vidyut Jammwal: Martial arts help retain our balance

Vidyut Jammwal and Tony Jaa

An exponent of Kalaripayattu, Vidyut Jammwal has played a key role in taking Hindi film action sequences beyond the tried-and-tested kicks and punches. Taking his love for martial arts ahead, the actor has conducted a virtual video chat with Tony Jaa, the Thai actor-action director whose résumé includes XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Furious 7 (2015) and Paradox (2017). In the video that drops online tomorrow, Jammwal and Jaa - a practitioner of Muay Thai - will be seen discussing how they stayed fit amid the lockdown.

"The idea was to speak to people who are at the highest plane not only physically, but also mentally. To me, Tony is one of the finest and fittest artistes in the world. We discussed spirituality and its connection with martial arts. In times like these, it's important to have a discussion about martial arts that can help us retain our balance," says Jammwal.

Besides fitness, the two artistes share a deep love for cinema. Proud that they are able to bring their two passions on the screen, Jammwal adds, "As action stars, we both believe in doing our own stunts to make it as real as possible on screen. Kalaripayattu is an elaborate martial art followed by [the exponents of] Shaolin temple as well as those of Muay Thai. Every form of martial art has taken an element from this ancient art form."

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