Pedalling through life

Actor Arya is known for his impressive performances in Tamil films like 'Arinthum Ariyamalum', 'Pattiyal', 'Naan Kadavul', 'Madrasapattinam' and 'Raja Rani'. He is making his debut in Kannada film industry with 'Rajaratha' which is produced by Ajay Reddy. Arya will also be seen playing interesting characters in his forthcoming projects like 'Ghajinikanth', 'Santhana Devan' and 'Sangamithra'. He is fond of travelling, cycling and plays football.

"I look forward to weekends as they give me an opportunity to dedicate more time to some of my daily passions --- cycling, working out and football. I can't imagine a day without indulging in any of these activities.

I don't mind being told that I am obsessed with fitness. These three activities help me stay fit in body and mind. There have been weekends when I have cycled to my shoot locations rather than travel by car. This helps me beat the traffic and reach the location faster than a car does. I also cycle to the gym after work. I am used to cycling 300 to 400 km at a stretch. I enjoy pedalling away whenever I have some free time.

If I hadn't become an actor then I would have become a sportsperson because I am that obsessed with playing any sport. I am a hardcore fan of Manchester United F C and Real Madrid. I never miss any of the their matches. When I am home I catch up on all the football matches. I either watch them as and when they are happening or I record the matches and watch them later. My friends and I have formed a small football club and whenever I am home over the weekend, we play a couple of matches.

There's a school playground in Chennai and that's where we meet and play as well. Swimming is another one of my favourite indulgences. These activities help me build my stamina, boost my confidence and offer a certain mental stability. They also give me the courage to face tough situations.

I am neither a restaurant hopper nor do I like shopping too much. So, my friends and I bond over sports and most of our conversations revolve around fitness.

Work takes up a lot of my time, so whenever I am home after a long shoot, my mother pampers me by making some of my favourite dishes. She knows my tastes and makes exactly what I like which could be anything like 'Mutton biryani' or chicken-related dishes or even fish.

She's a brilliant cook and can make anything under the sun. I have a sweet tooth and need to have a sweet after every meal. It could be a piece of chocolate or even a small scoop of peanut butter. I don't enjoy eating out. I like eating light when I am shooting or travelling. I like to keep my life simple and straight. There are just a handful of things that I am happy doing. And weekends are reserved for doing them.

A few of my favourite things
Playing football
Cycling
Working out
Peanut butter
Chocolates