It was a phone call that went beyond his dreams.
Kannada TV and movie actor Chandan Kumar remembered: “I was just out of [the Kannada version of] Big Boss and looking for work, when I received a call from Arjun sir’s office. It took a while to sink in.”
He had grown up watching Arjun’s films.
Sollividava/Prema Baraha is a bilingual film directed by Arjun — the star of more than 150 films in Tamil and Kannada.
Chandan, as he is popularly known, plays Sanjay, a television journalist who heads sting operations. He is paired opposite Arjun’s daughter, Aishwarya Arjun, who plays television journalist Madhurya.
Since the story goes into a war zone, Chandan underwent training in martial arts including parkour.
Shooting in Dharamshala was a glimpse into the lives of the Indian soldiers. “My admiration for them only grew,” Chandan said.
If delivering Tamil dialogues were a hurdle for this Kannada speaker, he had a patient and encouraging director in Arjun.
“There were times when I would be embarrassed and Arjun sir shared stories from his life about similar moments and how he overcame them. I admire him for his physical strength. At 50 plus, he is better than any youngster,” Chandan said.
He cherishes the moments when the team clapped when he delivered his lines in one take.
A mechanical engineer by profession, Chandan worked at General Motors for four years before quitting for an acting career.
“The work there was monotonous and offered no scope for Indian creativity. Acting interested me,” he added.
From working in television serials and reality shows to doing supporting roles in Kannada cinema, Chandan slowly charted a new career.
With Sollividava his dreams find a new meaning.
