CHENNAI: Looks like Nedunchalai has finally become the calling card for hero Aari. The film has got him rave reviews for his role as a highway robber. Last week, he even bagged the Film Fans Association Award for Best Actor, for the film. But seems like Aari hasn’t been resting on his laurels and has moved onto his next project Dharane. The shoot is over and the dubbing is on. Speaking to CE, Aari reveals what drew him to the character.
“In Dharane, directed by debutant Guhan Sambandan, I play Sekar, a lower middle class boy, staying in Saidapet. He runs his dad’s restaurant but he wants to come up in life. He has two friends — Nadodigal Karna, who plays a boy looking for a job, and Kumaravel, in the role of an aspiring actor. The minute I heard the script, I said yes, because I could identify with not just mine, but all the three characters!” recalls Aari. “My dad was running a hotel and had to struggle a lot when he sold it. So I felt an instant connect with Sekar’s character. Like Kumaravel in the film, I have been a struggling actor and like Karna, I had been looking for jobs before my film career happened. I feel even the youth of today will connect with the story in many ways. The film reflects the aspirations of the middle class in a realistic manner,” he says.
Aari assures us that the film guarantees entertainment with a large dose of comedy, action and romance. Sandra and newbie Theresa are the other actors.
For Aari, who likes challenging roles, the film was a delight since he had to prepare for two different looks. “ There’s a gap of around six years in between the storyline. For one role I lost around eight kilograms while for the other, I had to gain 12 kilograms and grow a beard! I have a complete look and costume change for the second period of the film,” grins Aari.
While in Nedunchalai, he had a minivan constantly accompanying him, in Dharane, there’s a Bajaj Chetak scooter playing a major role, he says. Shot in several locations in the city — Saidapet, Porur and Kodambakkam — the film will showcase Chennai in a different way, promises Aari.