Arya does not stop gushing about his role in director Bala’s 'Avan Ivan', a comedy film — the first-of-a-kind venture by the director.
“Vishal (Avan) and I (Ivan) play brothers, who are petty thieves in the film. While his character is more inclined towards stage shows, as he wants to become an artiste, my job is to always pull his leg and let him down,” explains Arya.
The funniest part in the film, he says, is his name – Kumbudren Samy.
“When cops chase me in the film and call out my name, it’s funny, because my name means ‘I salute you my lord’. This in itself adds the innate humour in the film. You cannot help but laugh when you see the chase scenes,” he says.
Although Arya has had fair share of comedy in his films, he says, this one sets it apart from the rest. “Even in 'Boss Engira Bhaskaran' (2010), there were comedy scenes that I shared with Santhanam. But in 'Avan Ivan', it’s different,” he adds.
“I realised the meaning of ‘Comedy is a serious business’ while shooting for 'Avan Ivan'. If there is no substance in your comedy, then no matter how lengthy it is, the result will be drab.”
After 'Naan Kadavul' (2009), Arya pairs up with director Bala for the second film. Three years in the making, the film earned Bala a National Award for best direction. Known for his dark themes, 'Avan Ivan' is the director’s first venture in comedy. But Arya doesn’t agree.
“Even in Bala’s earlier films like 'Pithamagan' (2003), for instance, there was comedy. In fact, Suriya’s character was a completely funny one. So, Bala is not alien to comedy. And in 'Avan Ivan', he has ensured that you get a full dose of comedy. His detailing for character, sketching in characterisation with regard to body language, style and dialogue delivery is amazing. When you work in a Bala film, you grow as an actor,” he says.
Arya is also busy shooting for Linguswamy’s 'Vettai'.
“I’m doing this film with Madhavan and it’s my first film with him and also with Linguswamy. We just finished shooting in Pondicherry,” he says but refuses to get into the details of his role in the film. However, he is all praise for his co-star, Madhavan, “He is simple, a great actor to work with and is very understanding.”
'Avan Ivan' is likely to release by end of May or latest by the first week of June.