Popularly known among fans as ‘action king’, South star Arjun Sarja has completed four decades in the film industry. He started his career as a junior artiste with the Kannada film Simhada Mari Sainya (1981) and ever since, there has been no looking back for him. He went on to appear in box office bonanzas like Gentleman (1993), Jai Hind, Karnaa, Giri (2004), and Marudhamalai (2007), among others, while simultaneously garnering wide critical acclaim for his performances in Prasad (2012), Kadal (2013), Final Cut Of Director (2016) and Kolaigaran (2019), to name a few.
In a candid and exclusive interaction with News18, the 60-year-old actor and filmmaker opens up on his journey, striking a fine balance between being an artist and a father, and his daughters, Aishwarya Arjun and Anjana Arjun. Excerpts:
What has been your greatest learning in the past 40 years of being a part of showbiz?
Staying updated makes all the difference. I believe in it and that’s what I practice every day. When I speak to someone, I always learn something from them, be it the way they speak or the things they say. I get to know about so many things that are happening globally today, both in terms of cinema and technology.
We had heard that your father, the late Kannada actor Shakti Prasad, didn’t want you to become an actor.
He struggled a lot back in those days. So, he wanted me to have a regular profession, a police officer to be specific. He trained me in martial arts solely for me to become a cop. But somehow I was attracted to the film industry. I didn’t know anything about acting. My only qualification was my physique and the fact that I knew martial arts.
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Aishwarya, your elder daughter, is also an actor now. Did you have any reservations about that?
Much before I introduced her, I used to often ask her if she wants to become an actor. But she kept saying no. She never revealed her plans and then a production house offered her a role. That’s when she told her mum that she wants to act. I was supportive of her decision. But I was always ready to launch her. I don’t have any bias against girls joining the film industry. It is just another profession and I’ve been a part of it for decades. I have a lot of trust and respect for this industry.
Your younger daughter Anjana recently launched a homegrown brand called Sarjaa. What was your reaction when you first heard that she is going to foray into fashion entrepreneurship?
Normally, kids of the present generation don’t take our advice. Having said that, my wife (Niveditha Arjun; actor-dancer) and I approve of the choices that our children make. Sarjaa is all about sustainable fashion. Anjana wanted to do something good and it was a very thoughtful step. It was the right thing to support. My wife and Aishwarya, more than me, were into this, and even now, they keep discussing Sarjaa with Anjana. I’m usually shooting here and there and my schedules are hectic. But still, I manage to know what she’s exactly doing. She did a lot of hard work and research to source apple skin leather (Sarjaa is the first line of handbags to use this fruit leather) from different parts of the world. I’m very proud of her.
Despite being born into a family full of actors, did Anjana never want to become one?
Anjana was always into sports and she was a tomboy. We would always say that she should have been a boy. She used to wear shorts and punch everybody. If my wife would stop her from doing something that Anjana loves, she would start punching her and my wife would start running (laughs). Recently, she was offered four movies but she wasn’t interested.
Aishwarya is making her Telugu debut with actor-filmmaker Vishwak Sen’s film which, as per reports, you will be directing. Are you looking forward to working with her?
Of course! I believe that she’s the best actor in my house. My wife and nephews are actors too. My wife is a very good Bharatnatyam dancer too. Aishwarya has it in her. If you give her some time, she can deliver two-three pages of dialogues [without faltering]. I wasn’t an actor but I developed my skills over time. Once it became my bread and butter, I began observing people [to better my craft].
With your busy schedules, how do you find time for each other?
This has always been the case. I was much busier when my kids were going to school. I didn’t and still don’t want to miss out on the niceties of life. I used to bathe them, dress up them and drop them to school before rushing to my shoots. I’m not missing anything at all. It’s all about your mindset [and priorities]. If you get attuned to [a life like this], then despite being busy, you’ll take out time for people and things that matter.
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