Doing what we love for years together makes us overcome all the hard work because it gives us a mirage of an idyllic state. But it is also the very nature of any job to become monotonous. Actors, who can explore the lives of many characters through their work, are no exception to this. While some of them develop different methods to calm the monotony, actor Arya chose the gym. As much as he has earned the label of a reliable performer through films like Naan Kadavuland Sarpata Parambarai, Arya has also built an identity as the number one fitness enthusiast in Tamil cinema. “I always wanted to represent India in the Olympics and even trained for it. But somewhere down the road this changed. But the drive has been in me for ages and fitness is who I am.’
Fitness not only helped Arya take a break from acting, but also helped him cope with the hectic schedule and endless demands of the job. “Acting requires physical and mental strain. Working conditions can be harsh and working hours can last from 12 to 24 hours. It’s not easy for our bodies to adapt to these working hours unless we control our fitness well,” he adds. In fact, it’s this rigorous practice that helped Arya with his latest film, Qatar Basha Endra Muthuramalingam (KBEM), where he is required to shoot multiple action sequences in a continuous schedule of 35 days.
KBEM is a special addition to Arya’s filmography as it is his first foray into a rural mainstream entertainer and his first collaboration with director Muttiah. “Many have suggested me to do a proper rural action drama. I was hesitant about this, especially to convince the audience of authenticity. Yes, I did Avan Ivan, but this is Bala sir’s movie. When I was finally ready to make a rural film, KBEM happened.”
While Muthaiya is known for his larger-than-life village entertainers, he has also faced criticism for glorifying caste in his films. “I got the title of KBEM may arouse curiosity. Also, Muthaiya has a reputation for making caste films. Of course, the title is sensitive, but he lived up to it in the film. If you ask me, this might be my most political film,” says Arya.
Although Arya asked Muttiah to write a rural-based script instead of the urban-centric one that was told to him by the director, the actor reveals that he was wary while working in KBEM. “While I was acting, I had doubts about the film because I have neither acted in such films nor even seen them. I wasn’t sure if people would have such thought processes or emotions, or if such situations would actually happen in real life. I realized the importance of having live experiences to understand the values and nuances of the land and Muthaiya Sir’s presence made things easy,” reveals Arya.
Right from Naan Kadavul to KBEM, Arya has played many intense characters which are far from his real image which is calm, easy going and cheerful. “Once you get into the mood of the stage with full concentration, you can perform. The world is so fast now that the moment you say “cut” people dive into their phones. To say that you live character is an overstatement. At the end of the day, there are so many personal things you worry about,” says the candid Arya.
That candor is also seen in the way he handles the numbers game in the industry he’ll soon become a two-decade-old actor. “I don’t do too much work now until it makes sense or something that has an interesting quotient. I no longer do films just for the numbers, either as a solo performer or as part of an ensemble. I’m taking it slower than before because now people think twice before going to the theaters, so you can’t just look at movies as numbers.
That being said, Arya still has one wish. He wants to make a full fledged action film wearing khakis. Even if that dream hasn’t been realized yet, Arya has a few interesting projects lined up that mark a string of firsts for him. The actor is all set to make his web series debut with Prime Video’s The villageand its first sequel, Sarpata Parambarai 2. Elaborating on her decision to make her OTT debut, Arya says, “Your character can be well established and there is no rush to finish your story in two hours. In the movies, you have to be faster; otherwise, you can’t keep the audience invested. But when it comes to series, you get a breather for both writing and performance. It also gives the actor even more mileage due to its duration. It’s like watching a bunch of movies.” Although still wary of his two releases, Arya agrees The village as “glorified horror” that is not for the faint of heart. Wrapping up by talking briefly about what’s in store for his Kabilan in Sarpatta sequel, Arya says, “We couldn’t release the first part in theaters due to lockdown. Ranjith Sir is working on the script. All I can say now is that this one is definitely going to be bigger.”