Allu Arjun
Ebullient star Allu Arjun seemed in his element when TOI caught up with him on a sultry May afternoon.
Our conversation was sprinkled with his customary full-throated laugh that reached his eyes, his sparkling wit and surprisingly some heartfelt confessions too! Probably, his two-week long holiday in US with his family has done the trick. “Holidaying is a must for every professional to recharge. We had a wonderful time and covered four cities in a short span. However, packing and unpacking, removing shoes and watches at security check were minor irritants, but spending quality time with family members was great,” he says. Allu of course took only “emergency calls” during his “holiday” and gave his cellphone a “much needed break too”, because a “break is break.”
Veering towards his upcoming film which boasts of many firsts, he says “I like to be a trendsetter, so I am reviving multi-starrer trend in Tollywood. I think more than the footage, the impact of the character counts. Frankly, I volunteered to do this role after hearing the script from director Krish since I want to be known as someone who constantly raises the bar as an actor,” he reasons and elaborates “I have heard cynical comments from filmmakers from other states downgrading Telugu cinema as senseless potboilers. I hope other saleable stars do at least one refreshing and new-age film every year to change the face of Telugu cinema,” he points out.
Why do we expect superstars to be instrumental in bringing in change. Is it because the Telugu audience is still star struck? “That’s right. Not that I blame the audience. Personally, even I like watching star-studded films. Due to hiked ticket rates, as a viewer I’d like to place my bet on a familiar face, though a film with a debutant could be more endearing and watchable,” he points out. However, Allu doesn’t like off-beat movies and prefers tastefully made commercial films that appropriately blend “a novel plot with commercial ingredients”. Quiz him about sky rocketing star remunerations which are playing havoc with a film’s budget and you’ll have Allu comes up with, “I have cut my pay packets at times. As actors, I think we should support filmmaker’s mission to cut costs and make a viable film that can recover money. I believe that everyone involved in the chain of production from top to bottom should earn some money,” he reasons.
Don’t let his flamboyant wouldn’t care screen attitude fool you. Allu confesses that he is hit hard when his films don’t work commercially just like every other actor. “It pains me a lot. I always believe that the daily collection chart of theatres is the barometer for audience appreciation. I have seen stars who lose their judgments after a smashing hit, but I like to learn even from flops and avoid repeating them,” he confesses. Does that mean he’ll stop experimenting? “I hate repeating myself, so the sojourn continues,” he says. The charismatic rough-n-tough lover boy of T-town has now resolved to do larger-than-life roles. In his next film Badrinath, he’s essaying the role of a sword-wielding warrior. “I would explore those roles as well since their reach and span is mind blowing. Also I have done enough of that lover boy, prankster roles,” he says.
After wowing Kerala with his films, the actor now intends to debut in K-town. “I received overwhelming response in Kerala and my fan base is gradually expanding. But I intend to do a Tamil film, since I am well-versed in Tamil having grown up in Chennai,” he informs. On the personal front, he reiterates his passion for fitness. “Fitness regimen is a must for every professional and we shouldn’t ignore it citing lack of time. We need to allot at least an hour every day for a healthy body and mind. I heard that Salman Khan finishes his workout, before crashing into bed every night. That should be the spirit,” he reasons. Allu feels that striking a perfect work-life balance depends on time management. Any message for his fans, and he quips, “advising is worst among all vices,”and signs off.
Our conversation was sprinkled with his customary full-throated laugh that reached his eyes, his sparkling wit and surprisingly some heartfelt confessions too! Probably, his two-week long holiday in US with his family has done the trick. “Holidaying is a must for every professional to recharge. We had a wonderful time and covered four cities in a short span. However, packing and unpacking, removing shoes and watches at security check were minor irritants, but spending quality time with family members was great,” he says. Allu of course took only “emergency calls” during his “holiday” and gave his cellphone a “much needed break too”, because a “break is break.”
Veering towards his upcoming film which boasts of many firsts, he says “I like to be a trendsetter, so I am reviving multi-starrer trend in Tollywood. I think more than the footage, the impact of the character counts. Frankly, I volunteered to do this role after hearing the script from director Krish since I want to be known as someone who constantly raises the bar as an actor,” he reasons and elaborates “I have heard cynical comments from filmmakers from other states downgrading Telugu cinema as senseless potboilers. I hope other saleable stars do at least one refreshing and new-age film every year to change the face of Telugu cinema,” he points out.
Why do we expect superstars to be instrumental in bringing in change. Is it because the Telugu audience is still star struck? “That’s right. Not that I blame the audience. Personally, even I like watching star-studded films. Due to hiked ticket rates, as a viewer I’d like to place my bet on a familiar face, though a film with a debutant could be more endearing and watchable,” he points out. However, Allu doesn’t like off-beat movies and prefers tastefully made commercial films that appropriately blend “a novel plot with commercial ingredients”. Quiz him about sky rocketing star remunerations which are playing havoc with a film’s budget and you’ll have Allu comes up with, “I have cut my pay packets at times. As actors, I think we should support filmmaker’s mission to cut costs and make a viable film that can recover money. I believe that everyone involved in the chain of production from top to bottom should earn some money,” he reasons.
Don’t let his flamboyant wouldn’t care screen attitude fool you. Allu confesses that he is hit hard when his films don’t work commercially just like every other actor. “It pains me a lot. I always believe that the daily collection chart of theatres is the barometer for audience appreciation. I have seen stars who lose their judgments after a smashing hit, but I like to learn even from flops and avoid repeating them,” he confesses. Does that mean he’ll stop experimenting? “I hate repeating myself, so the sojourn continues,” he says. The charismatic rough-n-tough lover boy of T-town has now resolved to do larger-than-life roles. In his next film Badrinath, he’s essaying the role of a sword-wielding warrior. “I would explore those roles as well since their reach and span is mind blowing. Also I have done enough of that lover boy, prankster roles,” he says.
After wowing Kerala with his films, the actor now intends to debut in K-town. “I received overwhelming response in Kerala and my fan base is gradually expanding. But I intend to do a Tamil film, since I am well-versed in Tamil having grown up in Chennai,” he informs. On the personal front, he reiterates his passion for fitness. “Fitness regimen is a must for every professional and we shouldn’t ignore it citing lack of time. We need to allot at least an hour every day for a healthy body and mind. I heard that Salman Khan finishes his workout, before crashing into bed every night. That should be the spirit,” he reasons. Allu feels that striking a perfect work-life balance depends on time management. Any message for his fans, and he quips, “advising is worst among all vices,”and signs off.
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