All Indians Want the Same Masala:Bunny

 

His chic Jubilee Hills office space has none of the trappings of Tollywood. No lifesize cutouts, larger-than-life movie posters, or star-struck fans kept hanging around for hours. Allu Arjun needs no such ego massage. he doesn't even feel the need to hide behind dark sunglasses as he settles down for a chat over endless cups of green tea.
Dressed in understated smart casuals that are a far cry from his colourful on-screen avatar, Arjun confesses that he's fighting hard to live up to his 'Stylish Star' image, what with his personal style evolving into a subtle, elegant one. Marriage has clearly mellowed down the original party boy of Tollywood, and a 'to-do' list scribbled on his soft board is proof enough.

'Be a gooood husband' it screams in capital letters. "That's Sneha's instruction," he laughs, as he points at a candid picture of his pretty wife on the table. "Everyone seems to be surprised that I've changed post marriage. But what's so surprising about it? You must change, it's such a big turning point in your life." The wardrobe change too has everything to do with this new stage in life, he says, sounding strangely perceptive. Basking in the glory of his first hit film in a long time, Arjun talks about his lineage, love and life. Excerpts from an interview.

You've been having a hard time at the box office for a while now. Your cousin Charan and uncle Pawan Kalyan started the year with blockbusters. Is it tougher on you because competition is so close home?

 

How can there be competition at home? See, it's simple. People will watch your film only if it's good. Another star's flop won't make your film a hit. So my race is with myself. It's been four years since i had a good show at the box office, yes. So, I was anxious about Julayi. not so much because I needed a hit, but more because I wanted to deliver a good film. I was confident that this film had elements that will work, but here in the South, films are an emotion. You can never measure emotion.
But yes, this time I did feel some pressure to live up to the 'mega' tag and make my family proud. Charan's Racha was a superhit — I hadn't expected it. I told everyone that even if it makes a rupee more than its cost, I'd be happy. But it went on to become a landmark hit. Then came Kalyan's Gabbar Singh. It was sensational. So now, the ball was in my court because everyone wanted a hat trick. If my film didn't click, it wouldn't be a 'mega' year in Tollywood. So I'm happy that Julayi did well.

 As with all your films, critics don't think much of it though...

 

 I don't make films for critics. That makes no business sense because they are a measly 3% of the audience. If I started working to appease critics, then I'd have to give up on my luxury cars, holidays and my lifestyle! To give you an example, my work in Vedam had the critics raving. But at the box office, it made 50% of what my biggest flop earned! If my film doesn't make money, it means people didn't go watch it. So it doesn't matter then that the critics loved it.
Critics are educated people, and the cinema that appeals to them will not appeal to the 'masses'. If you start making movies to please the educated minority, you'd leave the majority dissatisfied. That's not something I want to do as an entertainer. I want to make films that people enjoy watching. So, while critical acclaim is welcome, it's like the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

 Doesn't the six-fights-four songs routine tire you out though? You've been doing it for close to 10 years now...

 

It would tire me out if I was one of those who don't believe in the kind of films we make — bashing up 10 goons at one go, wooing the hottest girl in town, etc. But I love 'commercial' cinema. I love to entertain. The kind of audiences that I make films for are comfortable with a certain format of cinema — songs appearing out of nowhere, people dancing in identical clothes. They don't find it funny that I beat up 20 bad guys and emerge scratchless. They hoot and cheer for me instead. So I make more such films for them.
I believe that Telugu cinema is the most complex kind of cinema in the world. You need drama, comedy, dances, fights, romance, a first song, a last song, and you have to tell your story through one hero... It is a formula. You have to stick to it, and yet come up with something new every single time. At the same time, it can't be too new or too different. It's a difficult balance and everyone in this industry is constantly trying to attain that balance. I'm proud of our cinema. I think it's a culture we have perfected over the last 60-70 years. It's like an original recipe and I have immense respect for it.
Why do you think Ghajini, Wanted, Rowdy Rathore, et al raked in the moolah? Because they are all South remakes. And all Indians love the same masala. Bollywood has been missing that masala for the last 10 years because they became a little too experimental.

 If you know the formula so well, and if it works, then how do you explain your string of flops?

 

When you say 'flop', there is always a number — how much of a flop are you? The good part is that every flop of mine does better than the previous one. So I am always breaking my own records.
It's unbelievable, but fact is that I can always see a flop coming. You tend to discover your film at every stage —during script narration, during the making, while watching the rushes... The buzz will tell you whether the film will work or not. You can't weed it out at the script stage itself, because unfortunately in Tollywood we don't work with bound scripts in hand. I go by the narration. Sometimes, the director's execution doesn't match what I had imagined when he narrated the script.
There are flaws in every film, and you see it first before anyone else. But there's not much you can do... you just hope and pray that no one else really notices it. One thing I do, which I guess no one else does, is that I work on minimising the flop. If the film may be a 70% flop, I make sure to work around things in such a way that it's just a 30% flop. So that foresight helps.

 There are those who say that hits or flops don't matter in the case of an actor like you, because you will always have movies...

 

...Thanks to my dad, right? Well, I've never ignored the role that my lineage played in my career. I know very well that I got my first break, that too on such a large canvas, because I was Allu Aravind's son, Chiranjeevi's nephew... To get the kind of opportunity we get, some people wait a lifetime. So, one can never take that for granted. But you must remember that after that first break, you are on your own. People might have come to the theatres for Charan's first film to see what Chiranjeevi's son did. But not after that. once the lights are off, then it's Charan who has to win the audience's hearts.
I understand when people look at me and say 'That guy's had it easy because of his father...' I don't hold that against them, 'cos I know where they come from. Part of it is also true. There are two big challenges in the film industry — one is to enter in, bag a film and get an opening where people come and watch you. That's 50 per cent of your job done. And the second challenge is to sustain in the industry. That is no mean feat and naysayers don't often appreciate that. It's no joke to sustain in such a competitive industry, and only a handful of star sons manage to pull that off successfully.

But you cannot deny that star sons definitely have it easier...

 

I don't blame anyone for thinking that way. We've all had normal childhoods. We went to schools where we studied with 40 other children from regular families. So, we've had our own brush with reality. From that kind of a life of anonymity, to where we are now as stars, it is a huge jump in society. You cross so many people just like that — people who are more talented, who perhaps deserve it more than you, better-looking people, those who have more money, more power. By virtue of being a star son, you simply surpass all of them. That would pinch anyone. Anyone would think it's unfair... Why, even I would! That's why I always look at my lineage as a bonus, a blessing. Whether my film is a flop or a hit, I know that I will always have this set of loyal audiences who will come and watch my film. Each star in our family has his own fan base, but these fans support all of us. When they come together under one umbrella, it makes a very large audience for us.

 Is the constant comparison between all the 'mega' family stars stressful?

 

Thankfully, one good thing about our family is that each of us has our own style. Be it Pawan Kalyan, Charan, or me — we all have our own identities. None of us act like the other. And none of us copy  

Chiranjeevi either. We have all carved our own niche. And we are all happy for each others' successes. So there are no comparisons as such.

 When Charan had a Magadheera or Pawan had a Gabbar Singh, you had nothing to talk about. Surely that would have bothered you at some point...

 

My dad produced Magadheera and my cousin acted in it. So I got a big kick out of its success. After that came my Arya 2, which failed... that was my mistake. What has it got to do with Charan? Whether Magadheera did well or didn't run, my film wouldn't have run... I have to be good to get a hit. So, there is no point comparing, not just within the family, but anywhere else.

 How did you become the 'Stylish Star' of Tollywood?

 

As a young kid, I used to watch all the heroes on screen and think, 'arrey what's that guy wearing... if I had all that money, I'd blow it all up on clothes.' You see, I am an urban guy who wants to look good, wear good clothes. When I got into films, that attitude just rubbed off on to my screen avatars as well. I wanted to look different in every role, experiment with my hairstyles, etc. I was the first South star who sported a six pack and flaunted it shamelessly. But i've mellowed down now. I'm hitting 30 soon, I don't think I have the guts to make some bold fashion statements I did in my 20s.

 Why this hurry to mellow down and go from wild child to family man?

 

 (Laughs) Why not? I believe there's an age for everything. Your fashion, dating styles, lifestyle, everything should change as you grow older. When I announced my wedding to my wife Sneha a year ago, my public image was that of a party boy. So it did shock people. There's no denying that I did have some wild fun, but even through all that, I knew I'd be married in my late 20s. From 18 to 28, you should party — if you don't there's something wrong. Between 30 and 40, you should make money, do well in your career... Even your wardrobe should change according to your age and stage in life, I think. I have my whole life clocked and planned like that.

 And what plans on the career front?

 

 I want to conquer the South. I treat it as one large industry because apart from my reach in Andhra Pradesh, I have a good fan base in Karnataka and Kerala. I want to slowly work on the Tamil Nadu market as well. I am well-versed with the language, I grew up in Chennai. So, in the next five years, I want to cast my net across the south. It'll be one big market for me, and I will operate with Andhra Pradesh as my core base.