Action King Arjun- the actor-director with more than 150 films to his credit returns as director with a Tamil-Kannada bilingual, Sollividava/Prema Baraha.
His daughter Aishwarya Arjun is playing the lead and is paired opposite Kannada actor Chandan Kumar.
While this is Aishwarya’s second film (she debuted with Pattatha Yaanai in 2013) she considers it as her first due the extensive learning experience under her father.
It all began when her father gave her three scripts to choose from. She picked Sollividava.
“It’s a complete love story told in the backdrop of a war,” she said.
Aishwarya plays Madhurya, a television journalist. “Madhurya appealed to me. This is a performance driven role with many layers to her character,” said Aishwarya, who has done an acting course at Anupam Kher’s school.
Aishwarya calls her father a complete professional while on the sets.
Doubling as his assistant, she picked up lessons on different aspects of filmmaking.
The film came with its share of challenges — a fusion dance that she had to perform, a one-minute monologue to deliver and some intense scenes.
Shooting in the mountainous terrain of Dharamshala was risky. A song sequence was filmed in Switzerland — dressed Bollywood-style in a chiffon sari with heels, she danced on the snow-capped mountains while the sun shone with a vengeance.
The supporting cast includes K Vishwanath, Prakash Raj and Suhasini Maniratnam. Arjun also makes a cameo appearance in a song sequence.
A third generation actor (her grandparents on both sides hail from the Kannada film industry), Aishwarya said that her father kept the family away from the public spotlight.
“He never brought his work home either,” added this Arjun fan who treasures his two films, Mudhalvan and Rhythm.
Sollividava/Prema Baraha is a home production under Arjun’s banner, Sree Raam Films International.
