Varun Tej, cutting a silent yet striking presence onscreen, has always found himself as the face of films that stand out with their concepts. Be it a cross-continental romance with shades of Austen (Fidaa), a World War 2 drama (Kanche) or a sci-fi adventure (Antariksham 9000), he has created a niche for himself. His latest film 'Gandeevadhari Arjuna' is a stylish action thriller.
When enquired about how he has stumbled across this particular project, Varun reveals that much like his own career, the diverse filmography of his Gandheevadhari Arjuna director Praveen Sattaru has first caught his eye. “I have watched Praveen’s previous films PSV Garuda Vega and Chandamama Kathalu and I have always had a good opinion of his craft and sensibilities. He called me when I was shooting for Ghani. When you look up to a filmmaker, you find yourself very excited when they call you.”
Revealing more details about how he got the project, Varun continues, “He didn’t tell me any story, he just told me that this is an action film. While this was enough to pique my interest, the more substantive elements of the film, the way the film brings forth a very important message to be precise, really compelled me to sign the film. Gandheevadhari Arjuna talks about the importance of saving one’s planet and about saving one another in the face of an imminent crisis. This is an issue particularly important to youngsters, for it has some longterm implications. I instantly felt this was a story that must be told. As an actor you don’t get an opportunity to do socially relevant films all the time, sometimes you have to do comedy films like F2 and F3. So when I heard a script like this, I grabbed the opportunity.”
Much like the 2022 Karthi starrer Sardar, Gandheevadhari Arjuna interlinks an environmental issue (plastic bottles, garbage disposal) with chronic health issues and multilateral, diplomatic crises. Varun is quick to tell people that the film never intends to preach to the choir. Or rather, the converted. “This is an issue all of us are familiar with. We are all experiencing the effects of climate change. The summers are longer, the winters are shorter, we don’t get enough rains. However, we are not asking people to change. We are simply putting the problem on the table, people are free to make what they can make of it. I, personally do believe we can take small, actionable steps in our own lives to make the planet a more liveable one. I have cut down on single-use plastic and began carrying my own water bottle everywhere with me.” says Varun, taking his stainless steel bottle out and showing everyone.
The real-life events that have shaped the film’s story might have just had an impact on the film’s action as well. Talking about his love for the genre, Varun says, “I like action a lot, as an audience and as an actor. Praveen has good sensibilities for action. The kind of action you would see in Gandheevadhari Arjuna is however not the kind one is used to seeing in Telugu cinema. It is not exaggerated for entertainment’s sake. It is a little more realistic. We have used very little rope work or CGI in the film. The computer graphics have only been used to enhance certain location shots.”
The title of the film has certainly caught the fancy of some, leading to queries on its selection. Varun says, “We did want a very Telugu title for our film. And as luck would have it, our story did present us an opportunity for the same. Gandheevadhari Arjuna refers to a call for help. Our hero is there to save the day when there is a crisis afoot. Also, I share a Krishna-Arjuna relationship with Nasser’s character, with him playing my mentor. We are glad to have this title. This is quite uncommon, considering people like to have shorter, snappier titles for marketing purposes, but this really worked out for us.”
Gandheevadhari Arjuna has been shot extensively in Budapest and London. At a time when rooted, local storytelling has become all the rage in South Indian cinema, did the film’s team face any apprehensions about how a film more international in its format and flavour fare amongst audiences? Varun replies “Not really. It goes without saying, that there is always some apprehension one experiences when they are trying something new or different. But we did not face many apprehension because the film is set overseas. Whatever is happening in the world at a macro level, we are showing it in our film at a micro level, through the eyes of its characters and their respective journeys. That gives a film its emotional core and make the film instantly accessible to an audience, irrespective of where it is set in and how it is shot.”
The actor has two films coming up next, Operation Valentine, where he plays an air force officer, and Matka, a period film. Closing the interview with details on these two films, Varun says, “We are almost done shooting for Operation…, we just have about a week’s work left there. Preparations for Matka are on. My role will have different looks and variations and as the title suggest, it will delve into the lesser-known history of matka gambling.”