On my pinboard- Arjun Sarja Actor, director and writer

Actor, director and writer Arjun Sarja made his debut in Sandalwood as a child actor before going on to become one of the biggest stars, straddling the various film industries of South India.

He won the Karnataka State Film Award for ‘Best Actor’  in ‘Prasad’ and his movie ‘Abhimanyu’  won the ‘Best Film’. 

He is fondly remembered for his role in the Tamil films ‘Gentleman’ and ‘Jai Hind’.
Arjun is now at a major milestone of his life. He is working on ‘Prema Baraha’ which will mark the debut of his daughter Aishwarya Arjun in the Kannada film industry.

1 | Author

K V Iyer

“I enjoy reading a lot of Kannada literature and I’ve lost count of the number of times I have read the novel ‘Roopadarshi’ by K V Iyer. I like the way the writer has so beautifully captured and written about the life and works of painter Michelangelo. Another Kannada novelist whose work has held my interest is T R Subba Rao (Ta Raa Su). Both these novelists have the rare ability to generate visuals in the reader’s mind and stir their imagination. I make it a point to read whenever I can.”

2 | Inspiration

Shakti Prasad

“My father Shakti Prasad has inspired me a lot. Also, the people I meet and
interact with everyday inspire me. When I look around, I see so many people who are happy and content with whatever little they have. I find joy and happiness in the smallest of things around me. I like being around those with a positive attitude.” 


3 | Travel

Switzerland

“I like to travel to Switzerland for a holiday. There’s no pollution and the people are warm, friendly and extremely helpful. Even strangers don’t hesitate to exchange smiles. I particularly like the carefree feel of the place. Having said that, I also feel there are a lot of beautiful places in and around our country. Hampi is one such place that I never get tired of visiting. I spend a lot of time walking around the old forts. They take me back to a different time zone.”

4 | Musician

Ilayaraja

“I can’t think of a better musician than Ilayaraja. I have worked with him as a producer, director and actor. He is a very versatile musician, extremely hardworking and a humble person. relax most while listening to melodious music. I don’t relate to metal or jazz music. Whether I am acting, directing or producing, I always sit with the music director and get involved in the making of the music.”

5 | Cuisine

‘Ragi mudde’ and chicken curry

“I like to try all kinds of dishes. But ‘Ragi mudde’ with chicken curry tops the list of favourites. When I am travelling overseas, I explore different cuisines. This also gives me a fair idea about the experiments that are going on in the food industry. My wife Niveditha is very health conscious and makes some healthy snacks. My daughters Aishwarya and Anjana love food but they eat healthy too. So, I can give up anything except my craving for sweets. I must have a chocolate before going to bed everyday.”


6 | Actor

Charlie Chaplin

“I like action and comedy movies. I’ve admired the works of Charlie Chaplin and followed with equal interest the films of Bruce Lee.  Also, who I am and whatever I have learnt about cinema is all from my father Shakti Prasad, who was an actor, director and a great teacher. If there’s anything nice about me, I owe it to him.”  




(As told to Nina C George)