A conversation about food excites actor Aravinnd Iyer, and he is living the character of a chef to the full extent in Karthik Saragur’s heartwarming drama, Bheemasena Nalamaharaja. This film centers around six phases of life based on six rasas: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. The actor, who made his silver screen debut with Kirik Party, and is awaiting the release of his web series, Hate You Romeo, will be seen as a full-fledged hero for the first time in Bheemasena...
The much-awaited film, produced by Paramvah Studios, Pushkar Films, and Lost and Found Films, will be out on Amazon Prime on Oct. 29. There has already been a lot of talk about its content, posters, music, and the latest trailer. Ahead of the film’s release, the actor says that he understands that the way to win somebody’s heart is through food. “But as a chef, one needs to balance the flavour with the right mix of rasas, which emulates life and relationship as well, and that’s what my character does in Bheemasena...,” he says.
Interestingly, cooking has been the actor’s foremost passion, and with Bheemasena..., he got a chance to experience and explore the traditional cuisines and learn the history behind them. “I always enjoyed cooking. In fact, when I was pursuing my Masters in the UK, I used to cook for 4-5 people every day, and my bond with spices has been strong for a long time now. However, for the role, I had to learn some extra culinary skills, for which I visited three restaurants and took up a short training, where I learned the art of chopping onions with swiftness, making different kind of rotis, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he tells CE.
Sharing some fond memories of his time during the making of Bheemasena..., he says, “It was a very challenging process. One, the film shows me in at least 10-12 different looks. Secondly, going by the film’s interpretations, I had to get into Bheema’s avatar and bring in Nala’s characteristics/ behaviour, which was once again a task to explore it on screen.”
About director Karthik Saragur, Aravinnd says, is someone who knows the Indian culture and history. “He is a talented filmmaker and somebody who admires art. His idea is to present our culture across the globe, and I am sure that viewers across age groups and borders will be able to connect with the subject. They say food can unite people, and we are happy to bring this delectable story for everybody,” he adds.
The film is jointly produced by Rakshit Shetty, Pushkar Mallikarjunaiah and Hemanth M Rao, and the actor feels lucky that he has got associated with producers who understand cinema. “It was my wish that the films I get associated with the right kind of producers, and that has been the case right from my first film. I am glad to team up with producers who know the nuances of acting and direction, and have understanding of good content,” he says.
Bheemasena..., which is said to be an intriguing take on family, relationships and how food is the key thing that bides them together, has music composed by Charan Raj, and cinematography by Ravindranath. It has Aravinnd sharing screen space with Achyuth Kumar, Priyanka Thimmesh, and Aarohi Narayan, among others in the cast.
Talking about how he chose to take up acting as a career, after doing his Masters in automobile engineering and working in London, Aravinnd says, “My parents didn’t want to settle in London, and so I returned to India. Further, the automobile industry didn’t seem promising, so I chose films as my career. While in London, I also had the opportunity to dabble in theatre, and that’s the skill I bring to my acting.” He is now taking it slow and steady. “I am in a position where I cannot choose all the scripts that I want until people see what I have done. My film or webseries have taken time to release. Hopefully, it will not be the case with my future projects,” he says.
The actor is looking forward to Bheemasena... getting an OTT release. “Initially, the film was started for the silver screen, but it is now getting a release on the streaming platform. If it were a theatrical release, we would have got the instant audience reaction, which is not possible now. However, the reach through OTT is far and wide, and ultimately our goal is taking Bheemasena... to as many viewers as possible,” he says. Aravinnd is currently also in talks for two new projects. “One is based on the underworld, while the other is outright comedy. Both the films are under preparation work, and an official announcement from the team will be made soon,” he says.