He may have been a heartthrob of the ‘90s with his lover boy image and warm smile. But who knew then that around 20 years down the line, it would be the same smile he’d use to show evilness? As seen in his latest release Dhruva, remake of Tamil superhit film Thani Oruvan, in which he reprises his own role of Siddharth Abhimayu, he’s made the antagonist feel cooler than ever.
“There were several notions that I would not be able to pull off a negative role because of this soft exterior I have. And when I accepted this role, the first thought in the minds of many was that I would have traits of negative characters in general. But I did everything opposite. I was good and that made my evilness more pronounced,” shares Arvind, adding, “Even though I am the antagonist, I didn’t want the clichéd traits of such characters. So I was clear that I wouldn’t smoke, drink or be angry all the time. The biggest aim at the end of the film was to make at least one third of the audience to feel bad for me! And I think we achieved it.”
Was he apprehensive when he decided to be a part of the Telugu remake? “Well, I thought it may not be interesting to play the same role again because there was nothing new to do. However, I got a chance to be a part of the creative process, and I was actively involved in the discussions, and that made it worth the while. Maybe I am a little possessive about the character, and that’s why I didn’t say no,” he explains.
The actor who is busy with a couple of films in Tamil, shares that he’s set to venture into direction soon. “I really enjoy the creative process. I have written two scripts and will announce it by the end of 2017. I visualise when someone narrates a story to me and every idea that comes to my mind I try and look for ways to make it interesting,” he says with a laugh.
Arvind is known to be shy and it wasn’t easy for him to handle the fame he got at a very young age. Has he gotten better at handling fame now? “Yes! A lot better. At that time I wasn’t prepared. Now I have learnt to go along.”
