Vidyut Jammwal doesn't believe in punchlines on screen; he'd rather make an impact with heavy-duty punches. He's a knockout off camera, too - training rape survivors to heal themselves during his free time.“I am the best action hero in the world,“ he says, with a self-assurance that could be easily mistaken for arrogance. Days before the release of his upcoming film, Baadshaho, the actor, whose tryst with martial arts began much before his romance with movies, talks about his journey in showbiz, his action-hero image and more. Excerpts...

Though you entered Bollywood as the antagonist in Force, a few of your subsequent films saw you turn into an action hero. In Baadshaho, you are once again playing the villain...
I'm not THE villain in Baadshaho. The story is about six badasses and each one is a villain. Besides, villain and hero is all about your perspective. When I came to Mumbai, the idea was to work even if it meant taking up the role of a henchman. I don't care about being slotted, people can put me in any bracket and I will shine.

How do you plan to stand out in a big-league film toplined by a huge star like Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi, who also has his own fan following?
I don't need to stand out, and neither do I intend to do that by overshadowing someone. Ajay, Emraan and I are talented and we will shine because of our respective strengths. Everybody is different and the idea is to be yourself. Also, if you try too hard to stand out, the audience will know it.

So, how was it when two action stars - you and Ajay - came together? Also, tell us a bit about your look in the film...
I had to be careful because I could not afford to make any mistake while shooting with one of the biggest action superstars of the country. One had to extremely aware of not doing anything wrong, so that either of us don't get hurt. We never spoke about action -the genre -during the shoot. Talking about my character in the film, I play an army officer - I have grown up around them as my father was an army officer. They look royal. I made sure to look every bit an army officer once I slipped into the costume.

Does your screen image restrict you in real life? Do you think that people expect you to be tough and emotionless like the characters you have portrayed?
I am a different species altogether, you cannot contain me. I cry and get emotional whenever I have to, and I don't think about my image at that time. Besides, by calling me an action hero, you are limiting me. I am much more than just that. I respect the image of an action hero, but I am not too sure if I care about it.

Many actors who started out as action heroes later veered towards realistic and even lighthearted cinema. Do you see yourself going all the way as an action hero, or is there a plan to explore other genres?
As I said earlier, people are limiting me by calling me the new-age action hero. Having said that, I have no idea what I will do in the future and when I will hang my boots. I started off as a henchman in South films and graduated to playing the villain there. Similarly, I didn't plan to become the new-age action hero of India. I trust the divine plan and work hard. I am living one day at a time. I have done a film with little action too, but does it make sense to cast Michael Jordan in a film and not make him play basketball? People may cast me for various reasons, but when I am on the set, they tell me, 'Vidyut, ek kaam kar - darwaaza todd ke andar aa ja'.

Unlike most actors, it looks like getting stereotyped doesn't scare you. But don't you think that the action-hero tag poses a risk of getting repetitive?
If Michael Jackson had a problem with being called the 'King of Pop', it would be a problem. He knew that he was the number one pop star in the world. If he didn't have an issue with that tag, why will I have an issue with mine? I take pride in what I do as I have reached where I am today because of that. Nobody does what I do in the world and I better speak about it. The US director who launched Dwayne Johnson got to know about me and said that I could be the next biggest action hero. So, if someone like him has faith in me, I should only be only doing and talking action all the time.

Your name is often mentioned along with John Abraham and Tiger Shroff, who are considered to be India's best action heroes. Your take?
How can I have an opinion on what somebody else has to say? I am the best action hero in the world. I don't know about others, I just know about myself. I have seen Tiger's work and he is good. There is no actor whose films I haven't seen. I consume cinema and I love watching films.

So, who do you see as your competition?
I am not competing with anybody in India. The bottle stunt I attempted, has been done by just four people in the whole wide world. I am way ahead of others. I might sound arrogant, but that's the truth. I am competing with myself. I asked Chuck Russell, the director of Junglee Pictures' next titled Junglee, about why he chose me. He said that he sees me filling a gap in action films. In fact, he said in an interview that Dwayne and I have the same energy, but I have more enthusiasm. Do you think I need any more validation? If I compete with mediocrity, I will end up being mediocre.

You are also known to speak your mind. This was seen when you took off on Ram Gopal Varma over his nasty tweets on you and Tiger? (RGV had tweet ed that he finds Tiger to be better at action than Vidyut. However, Vidyut later released a recording of his conversation with the filmmaker, during which the latter had called Tiger a 'transgender'.)
The only way to defend is to stand up for yourself. I don't know what Ram Gopal Varma was thinking. I just knew that I had to stand up for myself. I was told that I should have ignored his tweets, but I am a fighter and I will stand up for myself. I won't wait for anybody to talk for me. How will you stand up for yourself if all you do is suck up to people all your life? There was an apology from Ram Gopal Varma and he has apparently quit drinking. If that's not an achievement on my part, then what is? He thanked me for making him quit alcohol because he would often take to social media under the influence of alcohol.

Lastly, what about matters of the heart?
I am so happy in my space that I am open to anybody in my life. I am single, but open to anybody who walks into my life.