What you expect is a naïve, 20-something girl taking baby steps to stardom, but Arthana turns out to be a total surprise. Confident and wise-beyond-her-years, there is no mincing of words or diplomacy. Daughter of actor Vijayakumar, she says a 70mm career was not offered to her on a silver platter. “I am not your regular star kid. I was raised by a single parent and I have never used my father’s name in the industry circles,” says the Mudhugauv girl.
Arthana is a happy girl as Mudhugauv is garnering positive reviews, but breaking onto big screen was no easy task, she says.
“It happened after anchoring, modelling, short films and umpteen auditions. I did my first ad film for Kalyan Silks which featured Prithviraj. I was one among the small group with Kalyan carry bags,” she laughs. Her big screen debut was Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu, a Telugu film which had her opposite Raj Tarun. “A casting agent, who came across my photograph on a friend’s wall, approached me for the film. At first I was a little apprehensive as I had never imagined making my debut with a Telugu film. But I felt a positive vibe when I was briefed about Sita, my character in the film. She is a blend of modern outlook and traditional values. I was totally at home playing her on screen and as we were wrapping up the shoot I got a call from the Mudhugauv team.”
Arthana says she was excited and tensed in equal measures when she joined the set of Mudhugauv.
“Whenever I am in front of the camera I feel it’s the first time,” she smiles. She adds it was also a fun ride as most of the cast and crew members were young. “Me and Gokul were asked not to act, but behave.” A couple of days into the release, the actress says she is happy about the feedback, “I watched the movie with my friends and they all liked it. The general response on social networking sites is also great.”
Arthana says her mother is her strength, best friend and mentor. “She helps me to stay grounded. When I was going to join my first film she asked me to treat everyone equally. When the film was released, she started crying the moment she saw me on screen.”
And, she is under no delusion when it comes to a career in showbiz. “I have completed my graduation in Mascom and will soon join a post-graduate course.
I want to write the Civil Service Exams and have no plans to keep my studies on the back burner. My mother wants me to have a professional degree and steady career. And if good, solid films keep coming my way I would love to be part of them,” she winds up.