Actor Arya is looking noticeably slimmer. “I’m on a cutting phase,” says the actor, who is currently subsisting on only fruits and vegetables. Being lighter will help him run faster, he adds. “We are training for an Ironman that should hopefully happen in June or July this year.”
Before that, however, there will be another event that he will want to look his best for — his wedding.
Starting February 20, Colors Tamil, a recently-launched channel by Viacom18 Media Pvt Limited, will telecast his search for the perfect girl. Enga Veetu Mappillai , a reality show that will feature Arya’s selection and wooing process, is “like a pukka matrimonial site, but a little advanced,” smiles the 37-year-old heartthrob.
The selection process began as early as November, when a leaked video of the actor talking about his wedding plans in the gym, broke the Internet. This was followed by a video message on his official social media account, asking if anyone was willing to marry him, where he admitted that though the video last week was a leaked one, the discussion was right. “If you think, you will be a good life partner to me, you can call 7330173301. This is not a prank or a game. This is my life matter. Waiting for your call,” he says in the video.
actor arya
They got around a lakh calls and 7,000 applications, says Arya, who shortlisted around 16 candidates after going through the application forms, photos and videos loaded on a website created especially for this. “I wanted people who were genuinely interested to apply,” says Arya, who has received applications from all over the world, including Singapore, Bahrain and Canada.
And this is partly why the rather hunky actor has chosen this somewhat unusual route. Though he has tried to get hitched using his own and his parents’ devices, it ends up being a very limited pool. “I was really looking to meet different people; people from different walks of life,” he says.
Shooting is currently on at the Jaipur Palace, “I wanted the girl to feel like a princess”, and will continue till April 15, “the day of the wedding”. The show will see Arya get introduced to various girls, meet them at dinners, try to understand them, see the way they interact with his family and friends… “There is a lot of process to it,” says the actor, who says the only criterion really is the connect he shares with the person.
And what if he doesn’t like anyone by the end of it? Though he appears prepared for the eventuality, he says that from what he can see, he will find his dream girl. “Of course, you never know,” agrees the actor, who has Tamil films Ghajinikanth and Santhana Devan lined up. “What if the girl refuses me? I cannot force her. That is a problem too, no?”
Enga Veetu Mappillai will be showcased from February 20 onwards on Colors Tamil
