Arjun Das Exclusive Interview: This voice gets me all the negative roles
Tamil actor Arjun das is making his Telugu debut with ‘Butta Bomma,’ the Telugu remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Kappela.’ Here is the excerpt from his interview.
By Bhavana Published on 19 Jan 2023 12:06 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Arjun Das…when someone takes his name, more than the face, it is his voice that comes to mind. And just hearing his voice can make the heart beat faster. Tamil actor Arjun Das has made a name for himself with his deep baritone voice and his acting skills. Arjun is making his debut in the Telugu film industry with ‘Butta Bomma,’ the Telugu remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Kappela.’ He spoke to the media during the film promotions and here is what he had to say:
It has been 10 years since you started your career in the film industry. But you got a good name only through your recent movies. How has a whole decade gone?
I came into the industry with a passion for acting. Despite doing various roles in many films, I got a good name through films ‘Andhagaram’ and ‘Kaithi.’ Director Lokesh Kanakaraj gave me the opportunity and I have excelled so far. I worked hard to make a name for myself. But as my voice became more famous than my roles and performances, some roles came to me as filmmakers thought I could do better with that voice. After that, I acted in films like ‘Master’ and ‘Vikram’ and gained a reputation for playing negative roles well.
So, throughout this decade, have you never received an offer from Telugu filmmakers before ‘Butta Bomma’?
I dubbed the movie ‘Andhagaram’ into Telugu and released it myself. I thought people in the industry or the audience never knew me. But ‘Butta Bomma’ was the first Telugu offer I got. I was very surprised when Vamsi, the producer of Sitara Entertainment, called and told me that I must do this role. That is when I thought people in the Telugu film industry knew me. On the whole, I chose to grab this offer and get closer to the Telugu people.
How did people respond to you while shooting? How was the experience?
We went to Vizag to shoot this film. I thought people there would not know me and I could happily go to the beach and enjoy the city. While shooting here in Hyderabad, too, I went to a shopping mall. I was not even wearing a mask because I thought people won’t recognise me. But in both places, people called me “Amar Bhai!” and came running to me. They clicked photographs with me. Then I came to know that there are people who know me in the Telugu states too. They may not know my name but they know “Amar Bhai” very well.
People love your voice. What do you think about your voice?
I don’t know when my voice changed, but it changed for the better. But I want everyone to stop listening to my voice only and watch my acting as well. I intend to be valued for my talent and acting skills and not just my voice. This voice gets me all the negative roles. Maybe, people think I don’t suit romantic roles (laughs)!
You are a Malayali born and brought up in Chennai. Since you don’t know Telugu, did you find it difficult to recite the dialogues and act accordingly?
Why not! It was very difficult. I can make wonderful expressions while speaking dialogues in my native language, but in Telugu, I had a bit of trouble in the beginning. But after that, I performed better by learning the dialogues from many co-workers and by helping each other. But you must watch the movie and tell me how I did.
