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Reginald Bacon [SEP] They had a daughter and two sons, both of whom died young, one as a soldier during the First World War and the other from pneumonia as a naval cadet in 1919. Bacon died on 9 June 1947 at home in Romsey, Hampshire.

Unión Huaral [SEP] Club Unión Huaral is a Peruvian football club, from the city of Huaral. It was founded in 1947 and currently plays in Peru's Segunda División. The club was the 1976 and 1989 Peruvian Primera División champion. The club have played at the highest level of Peruvian football on twenty four occasions, from 1974 Torneo Descentralizado until 1991 Torneo Descentralizado, 1993 Torneo Descentralizado, 1995 Torneo Descentralizado, and from 2003 Torneo Descentralizado until 2006 Torneo Descentralizado, when was relegated to the Peruvian Segunda División.

Unión Huaral [SEP] In the 2011 Torneo Intermedio, the club was eliminated by Deportivo Municipal in the Round of 16. In 2013, the club had a great campaign in the Copa Perú finishing runner-up. They were once again promoted to the Peruvian Segunda División.

Stade Taïeb Mhiri [SEP] Stade Taïeb Mhiri () is a multi-purpose stadium in Sfax, Tunisia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Club Sportif Sfaxien. Built in 1938, it holds 18,000 people and was used for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. It was named after Tunisian politician and Interior Minister Taïeb Mhiri.

Bowden Housteads Woods [SEP] Bowden Housteads Woods are situated between Darnall and Handsworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. the woods are encircled by Sheffield Outer Ring Road, Sheffield Parkway and Handsworth Road. The woods are classified as ancient woodlands, having been in existence since the 17th century, the Car Brook flows through the wooded area. Spring brings a carpet of bluebells. The woods are a Local Nature Reserve. The 1853 Ordnance Survey map of the area shows a sandstone quarry within the woods.

Bowden Housteads Woods [SEP] Many of Handsworth's older buildings were constructed using the yellow sandstone from this quarry and two others in the district. A well ("Shilling Well") is also shown on maps, close to the junction of the woods with Clifton Square and what is now Handsworth Road (originally Main Road). The 1900 map, however, shows neither of these features.

Bowden Housteads Woods [SEP] From the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century, part of the woods (now the site of an Asda supermarket) was occupied by the Fisher Son and Sibray Nurseries and the land upon which the adjacent Triangle Estate now stands, was also once part on the woods, many of its streets are named after types of trees; Larch Hill, Willow Drive, Maple Grove, Alder Lane and Chestnut Avenue. Local miners built an open-air swimming pool in the woods in 1926.

Bowden Housteads Woods [SEP] It was fed by waters from a natural spring and surrounded by a fence made of old railway sleepers. Alterations to the Sheffield Parkway, with the addition of the Mosborough link in 1990, included the construction of a new roundabout on the site of the old pool.

Tonna, Neath [SEP] Tonna () is the name of a village and a coterminous electoral ward and community in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, located to the north-east of Neath town, of which it is effectively a suburb. Immediately between Tonna and the adjoining parish of Llanilltud ("Llantwit-juxta-Neath") is a cottage once occupied by the Welsh born engineer and naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who had arrived at his theory of evolution independently of Charles Darwin, with whom he later corresponded.

Tonna, Neath [SEP] Eventually Wallace and Darwin jointly presented the first paper on Natural Selection to the Linnean Society. The village's rugby union team is Tonna RFC. Once mainly agricultural fields, the name derives from the archaic Welsh "tonnau", meaning lea or grassland and not, as is sometimes assumed, the modern Welsh for "waves". Some areas of pasture remain. The electoral ward of Tonna falls within the parliamentary constituency of Neath.

Tonna, Neath [SEP] The ward consists of a small built-up area of Tonna village to the northwest with rest of the ward consisting of woodland and pasture. Tonna is bounded by the wards of Aberdulais to the north; Resolven to the northeast; Pelenna to the southeast; Cimla and Neath North to the southwest; and Cadoxton to the west. In the 2017 local council elections, the electorate turnout was %. The results were:

Błędów Desert [SEP] Błędów Desert () is an area of sands between Błędów (part of Dąbrowa Górnicza in Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union) and the villages of Chechło and Klucze in Poland. The area lies mainly on the Silesian Highlands in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The Błędowska Sands is Central Europe's largest accumulation of loose sand in an area away from any sea, deposited thousands of years ago by a melting glacier. It occupies an area of . The sands have an average depth of 40m, up to 70m at the maximum.

Błędów Desert [SEP] The Biała Przemsza River divides the desert in two from east to west. The Błędów Desert was not created naturally, but rather as a result of human activity which lowered the water table to such a degree that the ground could no longer support plant life. Beginning in the Middle Ages, area forests were aggressively cleared to meet the needs of local mining and metal working endeavors. This clearcutting exposed approx. 150 km² of sand, which once reached as far south as Szczakowa.

Błędów Desert [SEP] According to legend, the desert was created by the Devil, who wanted to bury the nearby Olkusz silver mine in sand. The desert was used as a military proving ground from the beginning of the 20th century. During the Second World War, the German Afrika Korps used the area to train soldiers and to test equipment before deployment in Africa. In the centuries since its appearance, much of the Błędów Desert has been grown over. In 2013 and 2014 conservation efforts have restored some of the desert sands.

Błędów Desert [SEP]

HMS Meteorite [SEP] HMS "Meteorite was an experimental U-boat developed in Germany, scuttled at the end of World War II, subsequently raised and commissioned into the Royal Navy. The submarine was originally commissioned into the "Kriegsmarine" in March 1945 as U-1407". It was built around a Walter engine fuelled by high test peroxide (HTP).

HMS Meteorite [SEP] The three completed German Type XVIIB submarines were scuttled by their crews at the end of the Second World War, "U-1405" at Flensburg, and "U-1406" and "U-1407" at Cuxhaven, all in the British Zone of Occupation. " U-1406" and "U-1407" were scuttled on 7 May 1945 by "Oberleutnant zur See" Gerhard Grumpelt even though a superior officer, "Kapitän zur See" Kurt Thoma, had prohibited such actions.

HMS Meteorite [SEP] Grumpelt was subsequently sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by a British military court. At the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 "U-1406" was allocated to the US and "U-1407" to Britain and both were soon salvaged. "U-1407" was salvaged in June 1945, and transported to Barrow-in-Furness, where she was refitted by Vickers with a new and complete set of machinery also captured in Germany, under the supervision of Professor Hellmuth Walter.

HMS Meteorite [SEP] Because she was intended to be used solely for trials and possibly as a high-speed anti-submarine target, her torpedo tubes were removed. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 25 September 1945 and renamed HMS "Meteorite". During 1946 "Meteorite" carried out a series of trials under the guidance of Walter and his original team from Germaniawerft, Kiel.

HMS Meteorite [SEP] The trials raised considerable interest in the possibility of HTP as an alternative to nuclear power as air-independent propulsion and the Admiralty placed an order for two larger experimental Walter boats based on the German Type XXVI, and , to be followed by an operational class of 12 boats. "Meteorite" was not popular with her crews, who regarded the boat as a dangerous and volatile piece of machinery. She was difficult to control due to aircraft-type controls and a lack of forward hydroplanes.

HMS Meteorite [SEP] She was officially described as "75% safe". "Meteorite's" Royal Navy service came to an end in September 1949, and she was broken up by Thos W Ward of Barrow-in-Furness.

Sport Boys [SEP] Sport Boys Association, commonly referred to as Sport Boys or simply Boys, is a Peruvian football club based in the port city of Callao. It was founded on Peru's independence day, July 28, 1927. Its classic and historic rival is the Atlético Chalaco against whom dispute the Clasico Porteño derby of Callao.

Sport Boys [SEP] It is considered the fourth most important club in the history of Peruvian football as they have won 6 national titles and have the largest number of international appearances after Universitario, Sporting Cristal and Alianza Lima, teams of Lima. The club was founded on July 28, 1927 by a group of young enthusiasts from El Callao who got together to fulfill the dream of a very important local football fan Gualberto Lizárraga to start a football club.

Sport Boys [SEP] The day before Peru's independence day, July 27, they held a meeting and at midnight, the group sang the National Anthem. Afterwards, they declared the club founded and named Lizárraga president and unanimously voted for the club name to be Sport Boys Association. The team's original uniform was not pink but striped red and yellow. Sport Boys was the first Peruvian football club to feature cheerleaders. Many of them, including Anelhí Arias, Shirley Cherres, and others that have become Peruvian celebrities.

Sport Boys [SEP] The last time Sport Boys became champions of the Primera División Peruana was 1984. Since then they have had a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Some of the ups have been being runners-up in the 1990 and 1991 First Division after having won the Segunda División Peruana to gain promotion. In 1999 the Sport Boys qualified for the Copa CONMEBOL, and in 2001 for the 2001 Copa Libertadores.

Sport Boys [SEP] Since then that team has had more downs than ups by avoiding relegation to the Segunda División Peruana by winning an end of season playoff match that went down to a penalty shootout against José Gálvez in the 2006 season. During 2008 their campaign was worse than the 2007 campaign leaving the Sport Boys in the bottom of the standings for most of the Apertura tournament. Financial issues were also haunting the club in 2008, so severe that they have not been able to pay their players from March 2008.

Sport Boys [SEP] Some players like midfielder Montenegro have had to do taxi work at night to be able to support their families.

Sport Boys [SEP] That year they were relegated to the Segunda División Peruana but on October 17, 2009, after a great season, Sport Boys went on to beat Cobresol 3–2 for the Segunda División Peruana finals to go back into the Primera Division Peruana, where it played for three seasons before been inundated with economical problems, and then finishing 15th during the 2012 season which relegated them back to the Peruvian Segunda Division Sport Boys has had a long-standing rivalry with Atlético Chalaco, Alianza Lima, Sporting Cristal, Deportivo Municipal, and Universitario.

Sport Boys [SEP] Sport Boys plays its home games at the Estadio Miguel Grau. It has a capacity of about 17,000. Before this stadium was built, they had to use the 5,000 spectator capacity Telmo Carbajo, a stadium that was in bad condition and unfit to host football matches. It was the first stadium in Callao. Sport Boys were forced to play their games in the Estadio Nacional, where they would be far away from their fans.

Onllwyn [SEP] Onllwyn () is a small village and community in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Seven Sisters. First developed by the Romans, the local village Banwen is confined to the Roman Road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remains of a Roman Road within the community. Legend has it that St Patrick was born here and taken to Ireland after the area was raided by Irish raiders. A celebration and a march are held on March 17 to mark the event.

Onllwyn [SEP] With over 200 years of coal mining behind it, the parish once had five pits that employed hundreds of men. Now all that remains is a coal washery and coal processing plant. On the route of the former Neath and Brecon Railway, there is a freight only line to the coal washery from the South Wales Main Line at Neath. Onllwyn was involved in several 20th-century coal mining strikes which brought the town notoriety.

Onllwyn [SEP] The political, labour and cultural connections between Onllwyn and the American coal mining region known as Appalachia grew into an in-person cultural exchange in the 1970s. Musical acts were performed at Onllwyn Miners' Welfare Hall in 1976, including a performance by The Strange Creek Singers featuring American musicians Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard, Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwartz, and Lamar Grier. The exchange was facilitated and filmed by Helen Lewis and John Gaventa.

Onllwyn [SEP] Onllwyn was also the setting for Pride, the award-winning 2014 LGBT-related historical comedy-drama film written by Stephen Beresford and directed by Matthew Warchus. The movie chronicles the true story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984. Commanding views of the Brecon Beacons, this now semi-rural location is popular for retired people.

Onllwyn [SEP] There is a Community College, "Dove Workshops", village shop, post office, pub, and Association football and Rugby union teams. The area's residents often refer to the environs under the generic of Banwen, as it is easier to pronounce for non-Welsh language speakers. The electoral ward of Onllwyn consists of some or all of the following settlements: Banwen, Dyffryn Cellwen and Onllwyn in the parliamentary constituency of Neath.

Onllwyn [SEP] Onllwyn is bounded by the wards of Abercraf and Tawe Uchaf (both in Powys) to the north; Glynneath to the southeast; and Seven Sisters to the south west. The Onllwyn ward consists of open moorland and a band of woodland to the south. Mine workings are prominent in the north of the ward. There are only two A roads crossing the ward: the A4109 and the A4221. All of the settled areas in the ward lie around the A4109.

Onllwyn [SEP] In the 2017 local council elections, the electorate turnout was 4.2%. The results were:

Ofer Talker [SEP] Ofer Talker ( born April 22, 1973) is a former Israeli football defender and now works as a manager. Talker was born in Ashdod, Israel, to a family of Indian-Jewish heritage. Talker began playing for the youth group of Maccabi Ironi Ashdod until 1988, when he moved to the elder team. In 1993, he moved to Hapoel Haifa, where he won the Israeli Premier League and the Toto Cup.

Ofer Talker [SEP] In the middle of the 2002 season he moved to Beitar Jerusalem, where he played for four years. At the end of 2005 Talker moved to Maccabi Netanya and in 2006 to Hapoel Kfar Saba, where he remained until his retirement in 2009. On 23 May 2011, Talker was appointed as the manager of Maccabi Herzliya. He left the club in November 2012. On 11 February 2013, Talker was appointed as the manager of Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla.

Ofer Talker [SEP] He worked as the manager of Beitar until the end of that season. In January 2014 he worked as the manager of Sektzia Nes Tziona. On January 28 2015, Ofer was appointed as the manager of Hapoel Nazareth Illit. He was sacked from the club on December 26, 2015 and a day later was rehired.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Kennedy John Victor (born 17 April 1966), better known by his stage name Vikram or Chiyaan Vikram, is an Indian actor and singer who predominantly appears in Tamil language films. He has won seven Filmfare Awards as well as one National Film Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award amongst other recognitions and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the People's University of Milan in May 2011.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He made his debut in the 1990 film "En Kadhal Kanmani", which was followed by a series of small-budget Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films in the 1990s, many of which went unnoticed. However, the success of Bala's tragedy film "Sethu" (1999), in which Vikram appeared as a rogue turned lover, started Vikram's successful career as an actor.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] In the early 2000s, Vikram appeared in a series of masala films, with "Dhill" (2001), "Gemini" (2002), "Dhool" (2003) and "Saamy" (2003) becoming commercially successful ventures. During the period, Vikram also appeared in diverse roles and received critical acclaim for his performance as a blind villager in "Kasi" and a Robin Hood-esque figure in "Samurai".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] 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" (2005) also won critical acclaim, as did his appearance as a superhero in "Kanthaswamy" (2009).

Vikram (actor) [SEP] 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" (2011).

Vikram (actor) [SEP] 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" (2015) and won rave reviews from critics for his performance. It is currently the sixth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time. Vikram has promoted various social causes and appeared as the Youth Envoy for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 2011.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He has been a brand ambassador of Sanjeevani Trust and a school for special children, Vidya Sudha, which he stayed at during the making of "Deiva Thirumagal" as well as having long-term associations with the Kasi Eye Care and running his own welfare association through the Vikram Foundation. In 2016, he produced and directed the video to the flood relief anthem, Spirit of Chennai, as a tribute to the city's volunteers following the 2015 South Indian floods.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram was born as Kennedy to a Christian father and a Hindu mother in Madras, Tamil Nadu. His father, John Victor (alias Vinod Raj) was a native of Paramakudi and ran away from home to start a career in films. His father, however, did not fare successfully, and only managed to act in supporting roles in Tamil films and television serials and this inspired Vikram to take part in theatre lessons and become professionally trained in classical and cinema dance forms to ensure he became a leading actor.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Rajeshwari, Vikram's mother, was a sub-collector and her brother, Thiagarajan is an established director-actor in the Tamil film industry; with his son, actor Prashanth, being Vikram's first cousin. Vikram has a younger brother, Arvind who lives in Dubai, U.A.E. He was previously set to make his film debut as a villain in the 2008 film "Saroja" but eventually did not feature. Vikram also has a younger sister Anitha who is a teacher.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram is used as a screen name as he disliked his original name, Kennedy; the name Vikram was composed by taking "Vi" from his father's name, "K" from Kennedy, "Ra" from his mother's name and "ram" from his sun sign, Aries. Vikram was educated at Montfort School, Yercaud, a boarding school in a hill station near Salem and graduated in 1983.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] 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.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Despite expressing his interest to join films after school, his father forced him to go through education with Vikram subsequently graduated from Loyola College, Chennai with a degree in English Literature and worked halfway towards 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.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] After winning a Best Actor Award at a function held at IIT Madras, Vikram was hit by a truck during a ride on his motorbike on the way home and suffered a serious leg injury. He remained hospital-ridden for three years during college and subsequently went through twenty-three surgeries to prevent his leg from being amputated.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] 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. Vikram began his professional career by modelling in advert films for brands including Chola Tea, TVS Excel and Alwyn watches as well as appearing in a six episode television serial titled "Galatta Kudumbam", which aired between November and December 1988.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] During the final year of his M.B.A programme at Loyola College, he was recognised by the film industry, with veteran director C. V. Sridhar approaching him for a lead role in a film. Vikram made his film debut in 1990 by appearing in "En Kadhal Kanmani", a small budget love story featuring him alongside Rekha Nambiar, with Sridhar's "Thanthu Vitten Ennai", opposite Rohini being his next release.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He then signed on to be a part of cinematographer P. C. Sriram's college love story "Meera", with high expectations, however, the three films failed to launch his career. His appearances in "Meera" and in "Kaaval Geetham", with another veteran director S. P. Muthuraman, helped him secure film offers from the Malayalam and Telugu film industries. In 1993, he almost signed on to appear in Mani Ratnam's "Bombay" and featured in the initial photo shoot alongside Manisha Koirala.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] However, Mani Ratnam wanted Vikram to remove his beard for the role, and Vikram could not do so due to continuity problems with another film he had signed and hence was dropped from the project. Between 1993 and 1994, Vikram appeared in a series of films where he portrayed supporting roles.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He appeared in three successful Malayalam films by appearing with Mammooty, Suresh Gopi and Jayaram in Joshi's successful action film "Dhruvam", before teaming up with Gopi again for Shaji Kailas's "Mafia", which explored Bangalore's criminal underworld. Furthermore, Joshi cast him again alongside Mammooty in the action drama "Sainyam" in the role of an air cadet.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] During the period, Vikram also appeared in the small budget Telugu film "Chirunavvula Varamistava" in the lead role and as Akkineni Nageswara Rao's eldest son in the family drama "Bangaru Kutumbam", with both films failing commercially. A brief return to Tamil films also proved unsuccessful, with his role in Vikraman's multi-starrer "Pudhiya Mannargal", with music composed by A. R. Rahman turning out to be a commercial failure.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Throughout 1995 and 1996, Vikram appeared in further Telugu and Malayalam films to receive income, being kept away from Tamil films due to a lack of offers. He played the lead role in the Malayalam film "Mayoora Nritam" directed by Vijayakrishnan's and even played villain in "Street" opposite Babu Antony and lead roles in the small budget Telugu films "Adalla Majaka" and Sriraj Ginne's "Akka! Bagunnava?".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He collaborated again with Mammooty in "Indraprastham" and Suresh Gopi in "Rajaputhran", before appearing in his first lead role in Malayalam with "Itha Oru Snehagatha" opposite Laila. Vikram signed Amitabh Bachchan's first Tamil language film production, "Ullaasam", which also featured Ajith Kumar and Maheswari. The big budget film created anticipation prior to release, but was ultimately panned and fared poorly at the box office.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] However, Vikram acknowledged the film for expanding his female fan base as a result of the soft-personality of his character. He followed it up with appearances in the unsuccessful films "Kurralla Rajyam" in Telugu and then in the Ilaiyaraaja musical "Kangalin Vaarthaigal", before playing a short role in Parthiban's critically acclaimed film "Housefull".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] During his struggling phase, Vikram dubbed for other heroes in films including voices for Prabhu Deva in "Kaadhalan", Ajith Kumar in "Amaravathi" and Abbas in "Kandukondain Kandukondain" respectively. Vikram has mentioned that he did not look down on dubbing and saw it as a "dignity of labour". During the period, he also attended dancing classes every day, and tried acting out different scenes and different characters with his small group of friends.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He began to turn down chances to play supporting roles in films and was intent on making a breakthrough as a lead actor and notably turned down the role of Swarnamalya's fiancée in Mani Ratnam's "Alaipayuthey". Vikram also rejected approaches from television serial producers, citing that working in television would reduce his chances of becoming a mainstream actor.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He also refused opportunities to take part in film events as a backing dancer, with actor Sriman revealing that Vikram was "one amongst not many" who was not interested in travelling to Canada to participate in such shows. In 1997, debutant director Bala offered him the role of the rogue Sethu (Chiyaan), in the film "Sethu". To prepare for the character, Vikram shaved his head, lost twenty-one kilograms and grew his nails long for the role.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] After beginning production in April 1997, the film went through development hell after industry strikes and lack of funds hampered progress. During this phase, he did not accept other acting offers in order to maintain the continuity of his looks. The film then struggled to find a distributor, who shunned it due to the tragic climax and the film remained unreleased. Vikram described the period of production as "the worst phase of his career" as he was financially strapped and "his fire was in danger of dying down".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He turned down an opportunity from a friend to take up a job in technology and attempted to stay in the industry by directing a serial titled "Mounam Pesiyadhey", with Ameer as his assistant director. " Sethu" finally released in December 1999 and initially began running at a single noon show at a suburban theater, but gradually gained an audience through word-of-mouth publicity. Eventually, it ran for over one hundred days at several cinema halls across Chennai.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram was constantly being mobbed by people on the streets as a result of the film's success. Critics praised Vikram's performance with a reviewer referring to Vikram as "a revelation" and that "he is very natural and his acting in last few scenes are just too good and could even be compared with the best we have seen". Similarly, a critic from the Malaysian daily New Straits Times, described the film as an "unforgettable experience" and described Vikram's performance as "praise-worthy".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The performance drew accolades with Vikram winning the Filmfare Special Award – South and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his portrayal of the title character, while reports emerged that he missed out on the National Film Award for Best Actor by a single vote to Mohanlal. Post-"Sethu", Vikram has said that the film would have been close to him regardless of its commercial success and that it put him on the "right path", with Vikram choosing to adapt the prefix of Chiyaan to his screen name.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram did not sign up to a film for sixty five days after the release of "Sethu", to ensure that he made the right career move. Vikram spent time completing projects he had agreed to feature in before the release of "Sethu" and hence made a couple of appearances in the Malayalam films "Red Indians" and the horror film "Indriyam".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] He also played a leading role in "Siragugal", a rare Tamil telefilm produced and featuring Raadhika, which was shot entirely in the suburbs of London. Furthermore, he also completed two Telugu films during the period; "9 Nelalu" and "Youth". " 9 Nelalu" featured Vikram as the husband of the character played by Soundarya, who faces the challenges of being a surrogate mother.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film won positive reviews, with a critic mentioning that Vikram gave a "controlled performance; while Vikram's newfound popularity in Tamil films saw the film dubbed into Tamil soon after as "Kandane Seethayai", with an inserted comedy track by comedian Vivek. His next release was Rajakumaran's "Vinnukum Mannukum", alongside Sarath Kumar, Kushboo and Devayani, which revolved around an ordinary boy falling in love with an actress.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram has since mentioned his displeasure at being a part of the film, claiming that he had arguments with the director for every single shot and that "everything in that film, right from the first shot was wrong"; the film became a failure commercially. His next film was "Dhill", where he played an aspiring police officer, Kanagavel, who tackles a corrupt policeman. To appear trim in the role of the aspiring police officer, Vikram went on a strict diet eating only fruits and drinking juice.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film opened to positive reviews, with a critic from "The Hindu" claiming that "Vikram has the ability and potential" and that "Vikram has once again proved that his success in "Sethu" was not a fluke". " Dhill" subsequently went on to become Vikram's first success in the masala film genre and led the way for more such films in the same genre for him.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram's portrayal of a blind folk singer in Vinayan's "Kasi" won him the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the film also did well commercially. For the movie, he sunbathed on the terrace of his beachside home in Chennai for a sunburnt look and got dizzying headaches while practising to look blind.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Again, Vikram's performance won positive reviews from critics, with a reviewer describing it as an "extraordinarily detailed performance" and that "as the blind singer, he brings laughter, tears and a lump in one's throat". The following year, Vikram went on to play the title role in Saran's "Gemini", produced by AVM Productions, his first big-budget film in the Tamil industry, which featured him in the role of a local rowdy.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The action film won good reviews, with a critic citing that Vikram "delivers a convincing performance" and consequently became a box office triumph. Similarly, the film's soundtrack composed by Bharathwaj had become popular prior to release, with Vikram also singing a version of the hit song "O Podu!" for the album. Balaji Sakthivel's "Samurai" was his next release, featuring him as a vigilante Robin Hood-esque figure who kidnapped corrupt politicians.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram had signed the film in early 2000 and the film was on hold during production, leading to a two-year delay and the film finally opened to average reviews and collections. The critic from "The Hindu" gave praise for Vikram's "admirably well-maintained physique and powerful eyes", whilst another labelled that the film's single major positive was Vikram's convincing portrayal. His final release of the year was Prabhu Solomon's "King", a drama film which featured him alongside Sneha and Nassar.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram played Raja, a magician, who is unaware that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, with his family trying to keep the truth away from him. The film also met with an unfavorable response commercially, but won positive acclaim from critics. The success of Dharani's "Dhill" resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre; "Dhool", which also featured Jyothika, Reemma Sen and Vivek.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film saw Vikram play Aarumugham, a villager, who comes to the city seeking help in regard to a water crisis back home, but subsequently ends up tackling the corrupt politicians who are behind the water scam. In regard to his performance, the Rediff.com review praised his enactment, citing that "Vikram is at his peak" and that "he seems as much at home with comedy as with action, in romance as in emotional sequences", while the critic from "The Hindu" also praised his performance.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film became a blockbuster and his fifth success in two and a half years, with Vikram being dubbed as "the matinee idol of our times" by a leading Indian newspaper. He also featured in the romantic film "Kadhal Sadugudu", with Priyanka Trivedi which was a critical and commercial failure, with reviewers claiming that "there are times you wish Vikram were a little more brisk and dynamic" in regard to his performance.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] After release, Vikram was critical of the film's failure, confessing that the story "underwent a lot of changes after the initial narration", lamenting that he was "taken for a royal ride" by the producers. Vikram was then signed on by K. Balachander to appear in his banner's biggest production till date, "Saamy", directed by Hari. Vikram played Aarusaamy, an honest cop working in Tirunelveli, who solves the region's communal problems with his down-to-earth approach.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram worked on his body for the film, sporting a thick waist to show notable differences from his other police film, "Dhill" and also put on eight kilograms. The film took a large opening, grossing over Rs. 7 crores in 10 days in Tamil Nadu, while also taking the largest opening of the new millennium in Kerala, with the Telugu remake rights also sold for a record price.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Due to the good opening, the film has proved to be profitable just 10 days after its release and consequently went on to become a blockbuster. Vikram's performance also was lapped up by critics earning him a nomination for Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award, with the critic from Sify claiming that Vikram had "succumbed to the superstar image trap", but is the "mainstay of the picture".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Later that year, he starred in Bala's "Pithamagan", along with Suriya, Sangeetha and Laila, playing the role of Chitthan, a gravedigger with autism spectrum disorders. He did not have any dialogue in the film and the actor's acting muscles were stretched as he had to use body language and facial expressions to convey his feelings and thoughts, with Vikram also applying the make-up for the character himself.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film won positive reviews with the critic from "The Hindu" calling it a "symphony on celluloid", while noting that it will be a "milestone in Vikram's career" and "he carves a niche for himself in the viewer's mind with his expressions and excellent body language". His portrayal won him both the Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award and the National Film Award for Best Actor, with the latter accolade making him only the third Tamil actor to win the award.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] His next release, the revenge drama "Arul", directed by Hari, garnered poor reviews and box office collections. Vikram signed on to feature in the action thriller "Anniyan", directed by prominent director Shankar in March 2004. Vikram agreed to shoot for the film for 140 days, which was revealed to be amongst the longest contracts signed by an actor in a Tamil film.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film featured him as a character suffering from dissociative identity disorder with three distinct personae: a meek lawyer, a suave fashion model and a psychotic serial killer. Prior to release, the film was touted as the most expensive South Indian film ever, costing Rs 26.38 crores, and was released across India with 400 prints. " Anniyan" took an "extraordinary opening", and went on to become a blockbuster grossing more than Rs.100 crores through the original and two dubbed versions.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram's performance was unanimously praised, with a reviewer from Sify citing that "Anniyan truly belongs to Vikram and the film is unthinkable without him" and "it is a role that could have been reduced to a caricature by a lesser actor". The film won 8 out of the 15 awards possible at the 2005 Filmfare Awards South, with Vikram adjudged Best Actor. Later in the year, he signed and completed Shafi's comedy film with Asin, "Majaa", in less than five months.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film which also featured Pasupathy as his brother, saw Vikram work as the assistant director under Shafi. " Majaa" faced a poor response at the box office and fetched average reviews, with a reviewer citing that "you will surely find something missing". Vikram then signed up for "Bheema" in October 2005, with the film facing severe delays and only releasing in January 2008.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film saw him portray Sekhar, who grows up idolizing the gangster played by Prakash Raj, and Vikram revealed that he approached the film like an actor, even though the film's script was written "for a star".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Upon release, the film gained mixed reviews though reviewers praised Vikram's performance, with a critic claiming that "Vikram breathes life into the film", "he looks sensational with his toned body, killer looks unarguably delivers yet another outstanding performance of his career" and to "see the film only for him". Similarly, the review from "The Hindu" was critical of the excessive violence and mentioned that "as narration gives way after a point, Vikram can only appear helpless".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] His next release, "Kanthaswamy", directed by Susi Ganesan and also featuring Shriya Saran, became the first superhero film in Tamil cinema, with Vikram being featured as a vigilante dressed as an anthropomorphic rooster, Kokorako and a CBI Officer. " Kanthaswamy" became Vikram's most expensive production beating "Anniyan", with the film boasting of high production values of having an innovative pre-launch trailer and with scenes shot in Italy and Mexico.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The film earned a mixed response from critics, with the reviewer from Sify claiming that the film "strikes a fine balance between style and substance" and proceeding to state that "Vikram is mesmerizing and has given an extra dimension to the characters he plays in the film and steers it to the winning post", suggesting that "there are very few people in Indian cinema who can do the larger-than-life fantasy characters as easily as Vikram".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Sudhish Kamath of "The Hindu" labelled the film as "slow death", claiming that "as an actor, Vikram has nothing to do". The film took a strong opening, with a collection of Rs. 37 crore, including Rs. 16 crore in Tamil Nadu, at the box office in the opening week of its international release. The film subsequently went on to become one of the most profitable films of the year and ran in theaters for over one hundred days.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram then featured in Mani Ratnam's bilingual films "Raavanan" and "Raavan", inspired by the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, with Vikram featuring as the tribal leader, Veeraiya, in the Tamil version and the cop, Dev Pratap Sharma, in the Hindi version of the films, which were shot simultaneously.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Vikram revealed that changes between the two characters during filming took up to 45 minutes, with Abhishek Bachchan playing the tribal leader in the Hindi version, whilst Prithviraj played the cop in the Tamil version, with Aishwarya Rai also in the cast. Vikram was initially apprehensive, because both roles were to be shot almost simultaneously, but revealed that he succeeded by showing differences in his body language and expressions. Vikram revealed that he and Abhishek Bachchan played the roles in the respective versions without inspiration from one another.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Despite being a non-speaker and making his debut in Hindi, he dubbed his lines in the language, remarking jovially that it was the "most difficult thing in the world". After promotions at the Cannes Film Festival and a premiere at Leicester Square in London, the two versions and the dubbed Telugu version released simultaneously in 2,200 screens worldwide and took a big opening on day one, earning 20 crores.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The Tamil version, "Raavanan" won rave reviews from critics, with "The Hindu" calling it a "master stroke" and claiming that Vikram "raises the bar higher with every venture". The critic cited that "emotions of love, animus, anguish and joy dance on his face in quick succession", concluding that "Vikram lifts the role to an admirable level".

Vikram (actor) [SEP] The critic from Sify labelled it as an "astonishing portrayal", while the critic from the "Hindustan Times" praised Vikram's "ability to get into Veeraiya's skin and emote with conviction". The Tamil version consequently went on to become a commercial success, with Vikram's performance leading to him winning the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor among other accolades. In contrast, the Hindi version fetched mixed reviews, with critics agreeing that Vikram's performance as the tribal leader was more convincing than Bachchan's.

Vikram (actor) [SEP] Baradwaj Rangan, writing for "The New Indian Express" rated the film 4/5 and said: "Raavan falls for Sita (and vice versa) in an intriguingly idiosyncratic take on the Ramayana – if you can get past the lead performances, that is".