Aravinnd Iyer, popularly known as ‘Loki’ (Lokesh) — the character he portrayed in Kirik Party — says he is in “a happy space” today. The actor, who says he is in love with the whole gamut of filmmaking, looks forward to the release of a film and a web series where he plays the lead.
Aravinnd, who also has a Masters in Automobile Engineering and has worked in London for a few years, says, “Working in films was a conscious choice. I try to bring in my technical knowledge to films.” He dabbled in theatre in London before deciding to return. “I did a lot of theatre in Bengaluru and my patience to get good films has finally paid off.”
The actor is the hero of Karthick Saragur’s film Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja, which is currently in the post production stage . The film is produced by Paramvah Studios, Pushkar Films and Lost and Found Films. “ Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja is based on food but has other layers too. Each character plays a certain flavour. Nala Maharaja was one of the first food scientists and the first to come up with flavour profiles like sweet, spicy and bitter and so on. I play the cook,” reveals the actor.
About the film, Aravinnd adds that the script is the real hero. “I do play the protagonist, but, right from the child artiste to Achyut Kumar and others — every character is important for the story. We are all actors, who add in our flavours to the main theme, without overpowering the other.”
Ask him how it feels to be leading a film when in Kirrik Party he was one among many actors and he replies, “You are always one among many, no matter which film you are part of. It is the audience who terms you as a protagonist based on certain characters you portray on screen. Sometimes, the script too demands a certain character to hold the thread,” explains the actor, who will soon also be seen in the Kannada web series — Hate You Romeo .
The series has been produced by Shivarajkumar’s production house Shri Muttu Cine Services and Sakkat Studios, Aravinnd is playing the lead in Hate You Romeo .
The actor adds, “choosing to be a part of the web series is again a conscious decision in terms of reaching out to the masses. The industry dynamics are changing. I see the web series taking over a whole chunk of the market in the coming years. I am happy to get to act in one. When one is not a big star and not yet a crowd puller, there is another way to reach the masses and gain a fan following — through their smart phones. Web series also help reach overseas audiences. They don’t have to wait for something to come to a theatre in their country. This exposure will help my films when they are released abroad.”
Aravinnd describes the series as a rom-com. “I get to portray two characters that are poles apart.”
Be it the web series or his film Bheemasena... Aravinnd says he tries to get involved in every aspect of its making right from conception stage to acting and production. “This is what we did in theatre and I apply the same to films too.”
He was supposed to play a pivotal role in Charlie 777 , directed by Kiranraj K. He has now been replaced by Rakshit. “I was still doing Bheemasena. The film was delayed as the director fell ill. The schedule of Charlie.. had to start. Had we postponed Charlie to wait for Bheemasena to be completed, little Charlie (the Labrador) would have grown up by then,” laughs the actor.
