He appeared in notable films like Dhruvam (1993) alongside Mammootty and Sainyam (1994) . While these films were successful, Vikram remained in the background of bigger stars.
Films like Ullasam (1997) attempted to project him as a conventional romantic hero, but the industry was already crowded with established giants like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and emerging stars like Ajith Kumar and Vijay. The failure to secure a foothold forced Vikram to look beyond the "hero" template. This decade of rejection honed his patience and prepared him for the extreme risks he would take later.
In Dhool (2003), Vikram played Arumugham, a rustic villager. This film demonstrated his versatility. He could pivot from the intense, brooding Chithan in Pithamagan to a colorful, comedic, high-energy protagonist in Dhool within the same year. The film’s success proved his marketability as a "mass hero" capable of delivering punchlines and dance numbers.
Vikram’s performance in Pithamagan (which won him the National Film Award for Best Actor) highlighted a recurring theme in his old movies: the . Whether it was the mentally ill (Sethu), the blind (Kasi), or the socially ostracized (Pithamagan), Vikram built his stardom on playing characters society had discarded. This inverted the traditional power dynamic of Tamil cinema, where the hero was typically a savior of society.
Directed by veteran C. V. Sridhar, this film also failed to give him the necessary momentum.
“Because,” Vikram said, his voice barely a whisper. “Real grief is silent.”