For someone whom acting was not even a career option, Arya has done well as an actor. With a couple of awards, several hit films and a lot of praise-worthy performances safely tucked in, the man is content with the way his life has shaped up. Arya shares with TOI his journeyfrom being an engineer to becoming the lover boy of Kollywood...
You've always called yourself a Chennai paiyyan...
I was brought up in Chennai, and I spent my growing up years here. My career took off from this city. I've a lot of good memories associated with the place...
Was acting always your first career option?
It was not even on the agenda! I wanted to become a pilot with the airforce. My dad got scared, and he told me to finish my engineering first before pursuing anything else. As time progressed, my direction towards life also changed. I never dreamt that I would become an actor; not even when I took up modelling. Srikanth (actor) is a dear friend and we studied together. When he pursued acting, he insisted I also give it a shot. But I was not that keen even then. But, things changed when Jeeva (late director) saw me...
So, what was it like giving the first shot for your debut flick, that too in the locality you grew up in?
I got shouted at during the first ever shot I gave for Ullam Ketkume. I had to stand outside a cards shop in Anna Nagar and talk to Pooja about love and the emotions associated with it. I had memorized my dialogues and was super confident. And when Jeeva, who was also the film's cinematographer, shouted action, I started delivering my lines perfectly well. Only, instead of looking at Pooja, I was following the camera, which was moving in the trolley! Jeeva was so furious; he told me, 'you are talking to Pooja, right? So, look at her! You don't do the camera's work. It will do its job, and let me do mine!' I had no clue about the technicalities of acting, and I thought you always looked at the lens. It took me two takes to get the scene right.
You are famously known as Kollywood's playboy...
As long as my playboy image doesn't affect my work, I don't think I will worry about it. I usually don't break my head over what kind of an image people associate me with. Only if someone comes and tells me that my loverboy image is hampering my work, I will start worrying.
The million dollar question... Are you single?
(laughs) I'm trying to be single, but I'm always committed. I generally don't like to be single. Actually, I find it difficult to stay single. I like to be with somebody, but it's difficult to find the right one... I'm looking for the one.
How true are the link-up rumours with Anushka, Nayan, Taapsee...
They are just that... rumours!
When it's time for you to settle down, will you get hitched to someone from the industry?
It will be someone whom I really, really love.
Are you happy with the way your career has shaped up?
Absolutely. Even though I enjoyed shooting for my first film, my plan was to leave to the US to pursue my MS. I did Jeeva's film just to gain experience in a different field. But I was doing almost nothing for three years till the film released. And then, Arindhum Ariyamalum happened.Guess I was destined to become an actor...
You seem to be doing a lot of humour-based subjects. Is comedy your forte?
I'm a chilled out person, and I enjoy teasing and pulling others' legs. Comedy comes naturally to me. That's probably why I'm offered a lot of these humourbased subjects (think Boss Engira Baskaran, Settai). That said, I feel blessed that I can judge if a particular line will work with the audience or not. So, I don't end up taking crass subjects.
You also love experimenting with the kind of characters you play...
I don't take up projects that I'm not confident about. When I hear a script, I will know if it will work for me or not. I don't challenge myself simply to prove a fact to someone. Because, at the end of the day, a whole team is working on the project, and a lot of money is at stake. But luckily for me, all the films that I've experimented with, be it Madrassapattinam or Naan Kadavul, have paid off well. The directors trusted me with their script, and I'm glad I was able to pull it off.
Source: TOI
You've always called yourself a Chennai paiyyan...
I was brought up in Chennai, and I spent my growing up years here. My career took off from this city. I've a lot of good memories associated with the place...
Was acting always your first career option?
It was not even on the agenda! I wanted to become a pilot with the airforce. My dad got scared, and he told me to finish my engineering first before pursuing anything else. As time progressed, my direction towards life also changed. I never dreamt that I would become an actor; not even when I took up modelling. Srikanth (actor) is a dear friend and we studied together. When he pursued acting, he insisted I also give it a shot. But I was not that keen even then. But, things changed when Jeeva (late director) saw me...
So, what was it like giving the first shot for your debut flick, that too in the locality you grew up in?
I got shouted at during the first ever shot I gave for Ullam Ketkume. I had to stand outside a cards shop in Anna Nagar and talk to Pooja about love and the emotions associated with it. I had memorized my dialogues and was super confident. And when Jeeva, who was also the film's cinematographer, shouted action, I started delivering my lines perfectly well. Only, instead of looking at Pooja, I was following the camera, which was moving in the trolley! Jeeva was so furious; he told me, 'you are talking to Pooja, right? So, look at her! You don't do the camera's work. It will do its job, and let me do mine!' I had no clue about the technicalities of acting, and I thought you always looked at the lens. It took me two takes to get the scene right.
You are famously known as Kollywood's playboy...
As long as my playboy image doesn't affect my work, I don't think I will worry about it. I usually don't break my head over what kind of an image people associate me with. Only if someone comes and tells me that my loverboy image is hampering my work, I will start worrying.
The million dollar question... Are you single?
(laughs) I'm trying to be single, but I'm always committed. I generally don't like to be single. Actually, I find it difficult to stay single. I like to be with somebody, but it's difficult to find the right one... I'm looking for the one.
How true are the link-up rumours with Anushka, Nayan, Taapsee...
They are just that... rumours!
When it's time for you to settle down, will you get hitched to someone from the industry?
It will be someone whom I really, really love.
Are you happy with the way your career has shaped up?
Absolutely. Even though I enjoyed shooting for my first film, my plan was to leave to the US to pursue my MS. I did Jeeva's film just to gain experience in a different field. But I was doing almost nothing for three years till the film released. And then, Arindhum Ariyamalum happened.Guess I was destined to become an actor...
You seem to be doing a lot of humour-based subjects. Is comedy your forte?
I'm a chilled out person, and I enjoy teasing and pulling others' legs. Comedy comes naturally to me. That's probably why I'm offered a lot of these humourbased subjects (think Boss Engira Baskaran, Settai). That said, I feel blessed that I can judge if a particular line will work with the audience or not. So, I don't end up taking crass subjects.
You also love experimenting with the kind of characters you play...
I don't take up projects that I'm not confident about. When I hear a script, I will know if it will work for me or not. I don't challenge myself simply to prove a fact to someone. Because, at the end of the day, a whole team is working on the project, and a lot of money is at stake. But luckily for me, all the films that I've experimented with, be it Madrassapattinam or Naan Kadavul, have paid off well. The directors trusted me with their script, and I'm glad I was able to pull it off.
Source: TOI
