Actor Vidyut Jammwal is bringing global recognition to Indian martial art form Kalaripayattu, and says it is an honour to give back to the community.
Looper, a US pop culture website, recently released a list of top martial artists across the globe, and Jammwal found a spot in the list.
“Honours like this help me give back to the community of Kalaripayattu to which I owe my life and all this success,” Jammwal said in a statement.
“It has been a very fulfilling journey and I am looking forward for the audience to experience more of Kalaripayattu in my upcoming film Junglee,” he added.
Jammwal has finished shooting for Junglee, which is about the relationship between a man and elephants.
Backed by Junglee Pictures, it is directed by Chuck Russell, who has helmed Hollywood films such as The Mask, Eraser and The Scorpion King.
“It is great to see Vidyut being noted as the rising star in action films across the world,” Russell said. “He has a rare combination of cinematic charm and killer moves that will make him unstoppable after this film.”
“What really distinguishes Vidyut is his deep knowledge of the martial art Kalaripayattu and his understanding of its philosophy to not only protect and fight, but also use it to heal,” the director added. “I had the pleasure of creating his role in Junglee to play his style of action supporting a positive message. I can’t wait for audiences to see it on the big screen.”
Jammwal responded saying: “Chuck’s kind words are icing on the cake. Working with him on Junglee was like a dream come true. He pushed me to extract one of my best performances so far.”
The film is slated to release in India on April 5, 2019.
