Going Iyer' and up

He impressed audiences as Loki in Kirik Party and since then, things have been upbeat for this striking Bengaluru lad. Actor Arvinnd Iyer, who made his Kannada film debut with Kahi, is all set to enthrall film buffs in Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja and Charlie 777.  Shedding light on the Kiranraj-directed Charlie 777, where the title role is played by an adorable canine, Arvinnd reveals, “I play the human protagonist in the movie, which is about the bond between a man and a dog. It’s a travel-based film where we will be voyaging across various places in India.”

Before he shoots for the flick, the actor’s spending time with Charlie in Ooty as the latter gets trained for the project. “There needs to be a certain amount of training for Charlie and I’m learning to pick up a few commands on how to maneuver the dog etc. If you’re an animal lover, then what better way to spend time under the pretext of working?” he smiles. Talk veers to his other project Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja, where he plays a cook and he says, “As the title suggests, it’s about food. According to mythology, Bheema was the reason flavours originated and Nala created flavor profiles. But our film goes beyond cooking.”

Ask him if he’s a food connoisseur and he shares an interesting bit of trivia. “My brother’s been a contestant on Masterchef and food has always been something we all love at home. Even for the movie, I worked in a restaurant kitchen to pick up things as a cook,” says the actor, who’s been meticulous while prepping for his films.

As he looks back at his journey  to cinema, Arvinnd, who was born and brought up in Bengaluru, reveals that he worked as an automotive engineer in the UK for five years. When in London, he took up screen acting lessons at the City Academy, post which he got back to India and joined the theatre group ‘Misfit.’ With his second film Kirik Party breaking BO records, how has life changed for him post its release? “As an artiste, it helps if your film has done well and there’s a buzz around it. Honestly, I’ve got more than what I’ve bargained for.” With his KP co-star Rakshit Shetty producing his films, it’s evident that Arvinnd shares a good rapport with the actor. “The KP team had a good sense of camaraderie. Now, everybody’s found work and various opportunities, so each time we hear about it, we wish them well,” he adds.

When he’s not exhibiting his acting skills, Arvinnd loves to play Frisbee or go on drives. “I used to play Frisbee for Airbenders — in fact, one of my first documentaries which won at Sundance, was based on Ultimate Frisbee. I also love to travel and now that I’m an actor, I get to do it with other people’s money!” he quips.