Allu Arjun Interview in Times of India

MY LIFE’S AN OPEN BOOK’ Allu Arjun in a no-holds-barred interview with Hyderabad Times Despite shooting round the clock for the last few days, Allu Arjun seemed composed and totally relaxed when Hyderabad Times caught up with him. The Tollywood heartthrob appeared to be cheerful and in good humour. It’s easy to see why he is the object of affection of the fairer sex. The actor confesses that he wants to shed off his flamboyant persona on screen and act with restraint in his new film. “Filmmaker Gunasekhar prefers subtle emotions, so we have reached a mid path that strikes a nice balance,” he points out. On sharing screen space with debutante Bhanu, he says “I have always worked with newcomers, so I don’t feel any different this time,” he avers. Will this big-ticket action drama revive his image as a superstar? “For me at this point of time, p e r fo r m a n c e - oriented roles are more challenging,” he says. Apparently, Allu has selected roles that would showcase his histrionic skills in Arya 2 and Vedham. Is the former a genuine sequel to Arya? “It’s not a sequel, technically speaking, it’s just that the romantic comedy carries the flavour of the original,” he reveals. Likewise, he says his other film Vedham, is a “narrative-driven” film that “weaves together five stories of different individuals”. “Undeniably, it’s a path-breaking film in Tollywood,” he avers. Since the film is a unique endeavour, Allu Arjun didn’t mind sharing screen space with other stars. “I wanted to break the jinx of multistarrers in Tollywood,” he opines. Allu has been a trailblazer of sorts and was instrumental in triggering off the craze for six-pack abs in Tollywood with Desamuduru. Is he still sporting those fab abs? “It’s difficult to maintain the sixpack abs. They demand a specific workout and diet plan. Even professional bodybuilders sport six-pack abs on and off,” says the actor, who is happy to have triggered a fitness fad among the youth. He’s also one of those rare breed of T-town actors who is often spotted in party circuits. “Acting is just a part of my life and I like to lead life on my terms,” he asserts. Isn’t he wary of mingling with strangers? “I’m shrewd enough to spot the right people and stay away from the rest,” he says. Allu believes that a blend of on-screen and off-screen persona showcases his complete personality. “My life is an open book,” he says, adding that he always advises his colleagues “to lead a life of their liking”. The pragmatic and eligible bachelor is still conservative at heart and dislikes talking about his love life. “I love my family a lot, so I would like to keep a few issues under wraps. If I had not belonged to an illustrious clan, I would have talked about my love life from the rooftops,” he explains. Besides partying, what does the vibrant actor like doing?”Depending on the time I get, I do my share of social networking, listen to music or play a video game. I love watching movies in theatres,” he says. So next time around, if you are lucky, you just might catch the screen scorcher watching a flick sitting right next to you!