Calculated moves

confident actor

But where Arya stands out from the motley group is his shrewd selection of roles, some of which his contemporaries, including the more accomplished ones, would hardly touch with a barge pole. Arya, born Jamshad Chethirakath, first faced the arc lights for the late Jeeva’s much acclaimed campus love story, Ullam Ketkume, where he shared space with stars like Shyam, Asin and Laila. The film, an emotional entertainer, had little to offer the debutant but Arya stood his own and was noticed by a discerning audience.

Early recognition

But it was the film Arinthum Ariyamalum where he played a toughie that brought a lot of recognition to the brawny star, who impressed audiences with his dialogue delivery and menacing body language. Arya would however place his performance in National Award winning director Bala’s Naan Kadavul where the strapping lad was given a meaty role — of an aghori sadhu — the best of his career, so far. Arya, smeared with ash and clad in just a loin cloth, muscles rippling and eyes blazing like charcoals, set the screen on fire.

The period film was a spectacular mix of savagery and folklore and Arya, pitted against the talented Pooja, turned in one of his finest performances of his nascent career.
Such was Bala’s admiration for the way in which his lead stars essayed their roles that he publicly admitted that he was heartbroken when the actors lost out on National Awards, although the director himself clinched an award for best director.

Naan Kadavul was a tall order for the urbane and sophisticated actor, who not only looked the part but also hogged every frame with his standout show. Naan Kadavul and Sarvam, which followed, were not that successful at the box-office but the actor had already caught the eye of leading producers and his casting in two films, Madrasupattinam and Boss Engira Bhaskaran, both of which turned out to be smash hits, proved to be turning points in his fledgling career.

Madrasupattinam again was a film that swerved from the beaten track. It was a romantic story between a  dhobi and a beautiful English damsel. Arya and the young and charming Amy Jackson played the characters of star-crossed lovers. This film offered the young actor an opportunity to deliver a vastly understated performance. He was befitting the role of a humble dhobi but there were several sequences where he could excel and Arya made full use of these scenes to register yet another class performance. To break the monotony of serious roles he was essaying on screen, the actor played a happy-go-lucky guy in the breezy comedy, Boss Engira Baskaran, where he had the comely Nayanathara as his co-star.

 Arya does not believe in being a part of the rat race and has been rather choosy about his films and who he works with. His film,  Chikku Bukku, with Shriya Sharan, another top heroine in the Tamil film industry, who has worked with the likes of Rajinikanth in Shivaji - The Boss and Vikram in Kandaswami, turned out to be a damp squib. His mentor Bala’s Avan Ivan, a comic entertainer, where Vishaal, another leading hero, has been assigned a parallel role, is almost complete and Arya is confident that it will do well.

Presently, Arya has his hands full. A film tentatively titled Vettai, to be helmed by Linguswami, fresh from the success of his last venture Paiya, is also slated to follow. Arya has also donned the villain’s garb for a Telugu film Varudu. Though just a few films old, Arya, who had bought the distribution rights for Boss, has also turned producer with his recently floated production house, The Snow People, and a film, Padithurai, starring a couple of new faces, which is already on floors.

Arya also caught the eye of ace cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan, who gave him a break in the multi-star extravaganza, Urumi, in Malayalam. Self-effacing and unassuming, Arya has already become a favourite of producers and directors alike for his sincerity and dedication. With his fan base also swelling by the day and his penchant for offbeat roles, the actor is here to stay.