Caught in action

Gentleman showed the filmi world that Arjun is not just another jumping jack. Today his character Pugazhendi in Mudalvan is doing the rounds, raking up controversies besides fetching him another milestone.

If we are talking about conventional good looks, Arjun is far from it. But his rugged looks and daredevil stunts carved him a niche in the southern filmdom- Action King. Especially in Kollywood, though he is no stranger to Kannada and Telugu viewers thanks to the dubbed versions of Gentleman, Jai Hind and now Mudalvan.

At first glance you'd think he is arrogant. Confidently, he struts around the sets of Sudanthiram, a KRG International production. You cannot really blame him. Mudalvan seems to be breaking all past records of Shankar. And anything about Mudalvan makes our man beam. "I always knew Mudalvan would become a hit." Confident that Shankar, with his penchant for technical wizardry, will strike a chord in the minds of the masses again, he tells you.

Touché! You remind him about Jeans and how it almost fell flat but for the exquisite beauty, Aishwarya Rai. " But choosing the right people is also part of a directors' duty. And he chose just the right person (for Mudalvan)," he defends Shankar.

Come to think of it, you should expect this loyalty. Didn't Shankar give him his first major break - 'Gentleman'? Did he see any changes in the techno-friendly director? He ponders over it. " Yes' but not as a person but as a technician. "If he was good then, he is amazing now. Watch the song `Mudalvane' and you'll know what I mean," he tells you. Ah, the snake and ladder song!

Though Arjun always wanted to be a police officer, fate had something else in store for him. He followed his father, renowned Kannada actor Shakti Prasad's footsteps. He stepped into the tinsel world. Instead of just a khaki garb, he donned a multi-hued one in the make-believe world, where fantasies are larger than life. Sure he was a police officer (on screen) but he was also a thief, a bank officer and IAS officer ... And just imagine, had he become a police officer in real life, he would have probably missed all the action!

Post Mudalvan', it's Sudanthiram with Rambha (slated to be released on January 26), 'Goodluck' with Preethi and `Rhythm' with Meena. Challenging roles? "Well ...er...sort of." Huh? In Sudanthiram he apparently plays a good-at heart' goonda, who does not have any regrets in bashing up anyone. Anything to become a boxing champion. Until, one day when he is forced to lure an innocent guy to death. And the fact that the deceased person turned out to be his sweetheart's brother doesn't make things any better. Now wait a minute, doesn't that remind you of 'Ghulam'? Yes it does, he tells you. "Its not a challenging role in that sense, I have done such characters hazaar times".

But isn't he apprehensive? After all, the tapori character has now become synonymous with Amir Khan? "Why should it? Each artiste has a different way of portraying a character and am sure I'll be able to keep the audience engrossed", he says confidently.

In 'Rhythm', he plays a sensitive role of a guy in love with Meena. "I just have a couple of fight sequences. It is a feel good movie". And he swears that the 'Action King' tag does not restrict him. "Simply because I also choose roles which will showcase any acting prowess". And he claims that any role should be interesting. "If it's interesting enough, I don't mind even slashing my price. Of course, if there is a guarantee that the film will be actually completed, released and get a decent publicity".

Arjun sure has come a long way. Having started his career in the early '80s, at one stage, he was ignored completely by directors and producers. I had a string of flops, five, actually in a row. And there I was, with no work for almost one and a half years. All that is past. Today he has a slot, an enviable one at that, for him. Tremendous fan following not only in Kollywood, but also in the Telugu tinsel world. Like they say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going'. Ami chepthinavu, Gentleman?

Other Interviews...