CHENNAI : Arjun Das and Kalidas Jayaram are two of the most dynamic actors in the industry. Arjun, who has constantly established himself as a ‘angry young man’ in Tamil cinema with films like Master, Kaithi, Andhaghaaram and Aneethi, has stepped out of his shoes for Kalidas to take his position in their latest film Por, a bilingual directed by Bejoy Nambiar. “It was interesting to play a restrained role in the film and great fun to watch Kali play my kind of a role for once,” exclaims Arjun Das. excitedly.
The action-drama has the duo playing college students — Prabhu and Yuvaraj — who clash against each other. “We only needed Bejoy Nambiar’s name to sign this film. We have always wanted to work with him,” says Arjun Das, while Kalidas nods in agreement. “I have not donned a character like this and I was new to this world, hence I chose to play Yuva,” Kalidas adds.
Arjun Das explains how Bejoy’s approach was considerably different from the previous directors he worked with. “For instance, in Master, I was given a clear instruction to get my body in shape for the role of Das. Bejoy did not give any specific notes like that.” Kalidas, who agrees with this, shares, “It helps me when I come with a blank mind on the sets of any film. By the second day, you will know what the director wants. However, even before the filming, Bejoy had briefed us about the characters and the story.”
According to Arjun, Kalidas plays a “spoilt brat” and a hot-headed student who beats his enemies without a second thought. Kalidas elaborates, “I had all the freedom to play the character however I wanted, without any restrictions. There was no boundary, which was very new and liberating for me.”
The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil as Por and in Hindi as Dange, starring Harshvardhan Kapoor and Ehaan Bhatt in lead roles. The Tamil cast admit that although they did not watch the Hindi version, they interacted with the Hindi actors and shared inputs. “I had a lot of discussions with Harsh about the film. We sat down and coordinated with dialogue writer Srikanth on approaching the Tamil version akin to the Hindi one,” says Arjun.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the two actors are starring in a film together. In Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, Kalidas plays Prabhanjan, while Arjun reprises his role as Anbu from Kaithi. Irrespective of the screen space, the actors mention that they are ready to sign any project if director Lokesh Kanagaraj offers them a role. Kalidas says, “I would blindly trust him. I missed an opportunity to work with him in Master, so I grabbed the chance to be in Vikram. All that matters to me is if I am creating an impact with my character.”
Arjun’s career marked a significant shift when director Halitha Shameem cast him in the segment Loners from the anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa, where his vulnerable side was shown to the audience. Kalidas says, “I love that role of his and wish to see more of this side. He is actually a chocolate boy and not the rugged boy you see on screen.” Arjun reveals that he is not trying to reinvent himself with every film, but focusses on giving his best performance with every role. “I was fortunate to have worked with talented directors. I don’t have any negative role lined-up. Many think that that is my zone, but that is not true. My upcoming film in Malayalam with Ahammed Khabeer will be a feel-good film and I also have another romantic film in Tamil.” Kalidas, who has played varied roles from Sathaar in Paava Kadhaigal, Iniyan in Natchathiram Nagargiradhu and Naveen in Rajni, shares that he is keen on taking up versatile roles. “I have that liberty to experiment with my roles because the audience haven’t seen me donning a particular role consistently.” The actor’s upcoming film is also another actioner, Raayan, Dhanush’s second directorial which also features a star-studded cast. “I am very excited for this film. I am a huge fan of Dhanush and I consider it a big deal to have shared screen space with him.”
Despite all the stardom, Arjun explains that he does not feel like he is doing enough. “I have that feeling everyday. When that happens, I work on myself, listen to more scripts and play different roles,” he signs off.
On the other hand, Kalidas seems to have a calm, ‘come what may’ approach.