Arun Vijay interview: On ‘Retta Thala’ and why he wants to do a light-hearted film next

Arun Vijay looks exhausted after a long day of promotions for his upcoming film, Retta Thala . “We’ve been doing back-to-back promotions. The film has come out really well,” he informs, as he sits down with us for a chat. Before we delve into his Retta Thala , I ask him about a tweet that had gone viral post the release of Dhanush’s Idli Kadai , in which Arun featured as the antagonist. The tweet was a clip of the actor’s ‘Dilruba Dilruba’ song from his sophomore film Priyam (1996). Looking back at his 19-year-old self, Arun reminisces about the long journey he has had. “What strikes me is the fact that I no longer get such dance numbers, especially because my choice of scripts has evolved to suit what the audiences want. And they no longer want unnecessary songs that distract them,” he says with a grin. “In fact, I want to do a light-hearted film with songs and comedy next.” He mentions how, over the years, many have offered him advice on how to build his career, but Arun has remained cognisant of what to take and avoid what not to take. “For instance, I have always done only one film at a time, which is why I have done very few films in all these years. Those who entered the industry after me have done more films than I. But believe that we should allow a project the time it demands and that quality is more important than quantity.” When he was much younger, however, he learnt his lessons the hard way. “I wasn’t mature enough to know how to choose scripts, and my father” - veteran actor Vijayakumar - “wanted me to learn it on my own. So I made all the decisions.” So if a producer thinks he looked good with a trimmed moustache, Arun used to follow it blindly. “Thankfully, the directors whom I worked with in the later stages made me realise those mistakes. Moreover, I also watch a lot of cinema; I observe how my counterparts select scripts, and what the audiences seem to like. My focus has been on analysing all of this and working on myself.” Arun Vijay | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Over the last three decades, Arun has proved his merit as a serious actor thanks to many noteworthy turns in action films such as Thadam , Kuttram 23 , Yennai Arindhaal , and Thadaiyara Thaakka . He stresses there is no set mantra behind his longevity. “The audiences know that Arun Vijay selects good scripts; I have created that confidence in them. So it’s important to keep doing that, and then it’s about how uniquely you cater to the audiences,” he adds, stating the ability to adapt to the changing times as key. He seems quite excited about his upcoming film, Retta Thala , which, he adds, has an engaging screenplay packed with twists and turns at the right junctures. The film will see Arun play dual...

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