As we catch up with actor Arjun Somayajula over a telephonic conversation, he has us smitten quickly with his endearing candour and easy charm. The actor, who made his big screen debut in Tamil cinema with a supporting role in the 2015 movie Masala Padam starring Bobby Simha, began by explaining how he bagged the role for Telugu film Dear Megha. “It all started with a conversation with director Sushant Reddy during a meeting we had at a café in Hyderabad. We spoke about everything under the sun, from the weather to our hobbies. Two weeks later, I got a call from his office, asking me to come and audition for this role in his film. And the rest is history,” he says, adding that Dear Megha is “a light, clean family entertainer that celebrates the beauty of love.”
First day, first shot
Talking about one of his most unforgettable experiences with Megha Akash and Adith Arun on the sets, Arjun reveals, “The first day of the shoot was a combination shot with Megha and the entire team was nervous about whether I’d be able to pull it off with a seasoned actor like her, and they had allocated extra time for the shot. I was pleasantly pleased; they were pleasantly pleased that we could finish the scene well before the time allotted. I think that cemented my role in the film as well, which gave confidence to both the team and the director that I was the right fit for the film.”
Moving on to other aspects of the film, did Arjun get a chance to explore his singing prowess? He jovially says, “Thankfully, they didn’t put my crooning skills to the test.” And now that he has gotten a taste of acting, who would Arjun love to work with in the future? “I think, hands down Mohanlal and Prakash Raj. As for actresses, since I’m fresh off the sets of Dear Megha, I would say my favourite actress is Megha Akash,” he says, adding that she is an extremely disciplined artiste.
Booked in advance
Arjun moves on to some “fun parts” of his journey like his work as an entrepreneur for a fuel delivery start-up. “I have a constant in my life, which is reading. I’m a huge history fan as well. If I was not an actor, I would’ve probably been a history professor. Not many people know that side of me,” he discloses.
What is the actor reading right now? “My current favourite book would be Julius Caesar: the Pursuit of Power by Ernie Bradford (which revolves around Caesar’s hunger for power),” he says, and adds that he has now taken a particular interest in the works of Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, especially his book Sapiens.
Skin in the game
Skincare and fitness, too, are expected to be on the list of priorities for an actor. “I have a mother who is very picky about the way I look. If I have a pimple on my face, she cuts out all oily foods in the house, and throws away all the chips packets for the next 15 days. As for fitness, I have always been an athlete. I have also represented my college (Chennai’s Anna University) nationally in the 100 m and 200 m segment,” he divulges.
When asked whether he tried his hand at any other skill like cooking, Arjun says with a laugh that he doesn’t think he could cook anything more than two-minute noodles, and that he would definitely love to learn it sometime in the future.
On a concluding note, Arjun shared a message for other aspiring artistes and said, “As an actor and entrepreneur, I would say it’s never too soon. Even if you lack in craft, I think the way Theodore Roosevelt puts it, ‘do what you can, with what you have, where you are’. I’m happy to see this happening and I hope it stays this way, forever. But again, that is wishful thinking and a man can hope.”
“One should always remember — it’s just that one Friday, for actors like us. Just keep working hard, keep your head down, and hope that your Friday is around the corner,” he signs off.
Did you know?
Arjun Somayajula’s Instagram bio reads: I bridge the Deltas with MEMES. And I TROLL sometimes. Most of the time (sic). Here’s his explanation: “I’m a huge fan of memes. The delta reference was primarily a space in all our heads where we are lost in our world, and we would rather talk through memes rather than chat or calls.”