Arjun Sarja
This article is about the actor. For other uses, see Arjun.
Arjun Sarja
Born Srinivasa
Sarja
15 August 1964 (age 50)
Mysore, Karnataka State, India
Other names Ashok
Babu
Occupation Film
actor, director, producer, screenwriter
Years active 1978–present
Spouse(s) Asha
Rani
Children Aishwarya
Arjun
Anjana
Relatives Chiranjeevi
Sarja (nephew)
Dhruv Sarja (nephew)
Rajesh (father-in-law)
Arjun Sarja (born 15 August 1964 as Srinivasa Sarja)[1] is
an Indian film actor and director.[2] He has primarily acted in Tamil
andKannada films and also appeared in Malayalam and Telugu
films.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Contents
[hide]
• 1
Personal life
• 2 Film
career
• 3
Filmography
o 3.1 As
Actor
o 3.2 As
director, producer, writer and distributor
o 3.3 As
Singer
• 4
References
• 5
External links
Personal life[edit]
Arjun Sarja was born on 15 August 1962, to a Kannada family
in Mysore, in the erstwhile Mysore State.[1] His father was Shakthi Prasad, a
Kannada film actor,[10] and his mother was Lakshmi, an art teacher. He had one
elder brother Kishore Sarja, who directed Kannada films.[11] He is married to
Asha Rani, a former actress who has appeared in the 1986 Kannada film
Rathasapthami. Kannada actor Rajesh is his father-in-law.[12] Sarja has two
daughters, Aishwarya and Anjana.[13] Aishwarya Arjun made her acting debut in
2013.[14] His nephews Chiranjeevi Sarja and Dhruva Sarja both act in Kannada
movies.[15] Another nephew of Arjun, Bharat Sarja, will also be making his
acting debut in 2013.[16]
Sarja, inspired by Bruce Lee's 1973 film Enter the Dragon,
began training Karate at the age of 16[1] and now holds a black belt.[17]
Film career[edit]
Arjun's father Shakti Prasad, an actor of Kannada films, did
not want his son to become actor and turned down film offers that Arjun began
to receive as a teenager. Film producer Rajendra Singh Babu managed to convince
Arjun to begin shoot for a feature film for his production house without Shakti
Prasad's express permission, and, consequently, his father agreed to Arjun's
career choice. The film Simhada Mari Sainya (1981) featured him as a junior
artiste and the director of the film gave him the stage name of Arjun, replacing
his original name Ashok Babu.[18] While he began to establish himself in
Kannada films, he received an offer from actor-producer A. V. M. Rajan and
director Rama Narayanan to do a Tamil film Nandri. Simultaneously, he was
offered a Telugu film, Kodi Ramakrishna's Maa Pallelo Gopaludu. His career as
an actor began to take off in the mid 1980s and he sometimes worked for up to
seven shifts in a day to keep up with the films he had committed to do.[18][19]
He subsequently chose to direct his feature film Sevagan
(1992), a crime story which opened to mixed reviews, but became a box office
success.[20] Soon after, Shankar cast him in the lead role in his first film,
Gentleman. Arjun had initially rejected the film without listening to Shankar's
narration but the director's persistence prompted him to feature in the film as
a vigilante against corruption. The film opened to positive reviews, while
Arjun went on to win the State Award for Best Actor.[21][22] Arjun began to
gain ground in action films, including his directorial venture Jai Hind (1994)
and Karnaa (1995), where he played a dual role.[23] Kamal Haasan approached
Arjun to play a police officer in the crime drama film Kurudhipunal (1995), and
the actor agreed to do the film even without hearing the narration. Arjun won
positive acclaim for his role, while the film becameIndia's official entry for
the 68th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category.[24]
In the late 1990s, his action films often carried a
patriotic theme, though he was still able to attract prominent producers and
directors.[25] After a series of unsuccessful action films, including his own
venture Thaayin Manikodi (1998), he teamed up again with Shankar in the
political drama film Mudhalvan (1999). Portraying an ambitious TV journalist
who receives the opportunity to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a
day, Arjun offered bulk dates for filming the project to Shankar.[26] The film
subsequently won positive reviews with Arjun described as having
"acquitted himself with aplomb in the challenging role".[27] Arjun
received the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for his role as well as
numerous other nominations. Arjun then briefly experimented in softer roles,
portraying critically acclaimed characters of businessman with "shades of
grey" inPrabhu Solomon's Kannodu Kanbathellam (1999) and as an energetic
civil service officer in Vaanavil (2000). He then featured in Vasanth's
romantic drama film Rhythm, where he played a photographer, who eventually
falls in love with another widower. Featuring a popular soundtrack and opening
to positive reviews, Rhythm also became a commercial a success, with a critic
noting "Arjun is as polished as ever" and adding "who would have
conceived this idea that the "Action King" could attempt a soft-natured
role of this kind".[28] He carried on with a lighter theme in his next
directorial venture, the love story Vedham (2001), while he ventured into
Telugu cinema again by appearing inRaja's Hanuman Junction and as a Hindu
devotee in Sri Manjunatha (2001).
He chose to specialise in action films, often collaborating
with directors who specialised in them such as Sundar C, Venkatesh and Selva.
In the mid 2000s, he appeared in several action films with the same premise,
often portraying a police officer or a local do-gooder. He directed and
featured in lead roles in both the action films Ezhumalai (2002) and Parasuram
(2003), while also being involved in Maharajan's Arasatchi (2004). Some of his
films, Giri (2004) and Marudhamalai, were box office successes, with several of
his projects were not, including Madrasi, Vathiyar (2006) and Durai, in all of
which he was the story writer.[29] Despite not achieving any significant hit
films in the 2000s, producers often considered Arjun as a "minimum guarantee"
actor and felt his sizable fan following the four Southern States of India
would help recover money even through dubbed versions.[30][31] In a rare
experimental film for him in the decade, he portrayed the role of the Hindu
deity Hanuman in Krishna Vamsi's devotional film Sri Anjaneyam(2004) and worked
on the film without receiving remuneration as a self-confessed worshipper of
the deity.[32] He was also cast for a change as a realistic police officer
inBharathiraja's critically acclaimed Bommalattam (2008), where a reviewer felt
his "his showcase of the soft, subtle yet unrelenting cop was
noteworthy".[33]
Since the turn of the decade, Arjun has attempted to move
away from his "action king" image and accepted roles in films where
he would play the antagonist or a supporting role, with the move drawing praise
from film critics.[34] In 2011, Arjun accepted the opportunity to play an
extended guest role alongside Ajith Kumar in Venkat Prabhu's crime thriller
Mankatha, with critics praising his performance as a police offer in the
blockbuster.[35] The following year he appeared in his 150th film, the Kannada
film Prasad, for which he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor.
Portraying a middle-class father with a deaf and dumb son, Arjun noted it was a
rewarding experience for him to break the monotony of his standard roles and
attempt something different, admitting he was moved by the script.[36] The film
opened to unanimously positive reviews in March 2012 and then was selected to
be screened as the Berlin Film Festival, with critics labelling Arjun's
portrayal as a "stunning performance" and his "career
best".[37] Arjun collaborated with director Mani Ratnam in Kadal (2013),
in which the actor portrayed a negative role of a smuggler in coastal Tamil Nadu.
While the film opened to mixed reviews and became a box office failure, Arjun
won positive reviews for his portrayal with Sify.com noting Arjun is
"deliciously despicable in his career's most memorable negative role"
and The Hindu labelling him as "brilliant".[38] He then won acclaim
for his portrayal of real life police officer K. Vijay Kumar in the bilingual
film Vana Yuddham, the biopic of notorious forest brigand Veerappan, as well as
for his role of a paralysed swimming coach in Vasanth's romance film, Moondru
Per Moondru Kadal.[39] His latest directorial venture, Jai Hind 2 contained a
message about the declining state of the Indian education system. Made at a
cost of 20 crore rupees, the film however became a failure at the box
office.[40]
Filmography[edit]
As Actor[edit]
Year Title Role Language Notes
1981 Simhada Mari
Sainya
Kannada
1983 Aasha
Kannada
1984 Pooja Phala
Kannada
Male
Bantu Male
Kannada
Pralayantaka
Kannada
Nandri
Tamil Tamil debut
Kadamai
Jeeva Tamil
1985 Na Ninna Preetisuve
Kannada
Avan
Tamil
Maa
Pallelo Gopaludu Telugu
Yaar?
Jagan Tamil
Ilamai
Tamil
Sivappu
Kili Tamil
Vesham Ashok Tamil
Engal
Kural
Raja Tamil
Naagam
Tamil
1986 Prathidvani Telugu
Cowboy
No. 1 Telugu
Prema
Jyothi Kannada
En
Sabadham Tamil
Kulirkaala
Megangal
Prem Tamil
Vettai Tamil
Mannemlo
Monagadu Telugu
1987 Sirai Qaidhi Vijay Tamil
Shankar
Guru
Shankar Guru Tamil
Kalyana
Kacheri Vadivelu Tamil
1988 Thaimel
Aanai
Raja Tamil
Thaai
Paasam Tamil
Thanthai
Mel Aanai Bala Ram Tamil
Pattikaatu
Thambi Tamil
Dhayam
Onnu Arun (Raja / Ilaiyaraja
/ Arjun /
Ignatius Immanuel Inbaraj) Tamil
1989 Premagni
Kannada
Sondhakkaran Rajadurai Tamil
Vettaiyaadu
Vilaiyaadu
Raja Tamil
Padicha
Pulla
Tamil
En Thangai
Pandiyan Tamil
Enga
Annan Varattum Manikkam Tamil
Annanukku
Jai
Kaali Tamil
1990 Aatha Naan
Pasayitten Chinnasamy Tamil
Thangaikku
Oru Thalattu
Gopi,
Prakash Tamil
Paatali
Magan Gopi Tamil
Manaivi
Oru Manickam
Vijay Tamil
Prathap
Inspector Prathap Kannada
Periya
Idathu Pillai
Vijay Tamil
1991 Thanga
Thaamaraigal Ramu Tamil
Enga
Ooru Sepoy Rasaiyya Tamil
1992 Police
Lockup
Kannada
Shivanaga
Kannada
Snehada
Kadalalli
Kannada
Mudhal
Kural
Karan Tamil
Sevagan
Sanjay Tamil
Annan
Ennada Thambi Ennada Shankar Tamil
1993 Alimayya
Kannada
Rojavai
Killathe
Alexander (Duraipandi) Tamil
Prathap
Prathap Tamil
Gokulam
Kannan Tamil Guest appearance
Gentleman
Krishnamoorthy (Kitcha) Tamil Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for
Best Actor
Thuruva
Natchathiram Suriyadevan Tamil
Karpagam
Vandhachu Sakthivel Tamil
1994 Jai Hind
Bharath Tamil
Mettuppatti
Mirasu Chinnadurai Tamil
Sadhu
Sathyamoorthy Tamil
Maa
Oori Maharaju Telugu
1995 Mudhal
Udhayam Cheenu Tamil
Karna
Karna, Vijay Tamil
Kurudhipunal
Abbas Tamil
Ayudha
Poojai
Krishnasamy Tamil
1996 Subash
Subash Tamil
Sengottai
Sekhar Tamil
1997 Adimai
Sangili
Karthikeyan (Kannan) Tamil
1998 Kondattam
Raja (Ramu) Tamil
Thaayin
Manikodi
Arjun Tamil
Thutta Mutta
Kannada
1999 Suriya
Paarvai
Vijay Tamil
Mannavaru
Chinnavaru
Raja Tamil
Suyamvaram
Sanjay Tamil
Kannodu
Kanbathellam
Seetharam Tamil
Mudhalvan
Pughazhendi Tamil Dubbed in Telugu as Oke Okkadu
2000 Vaanavil
Surya Tamil
Sudhandhiram
Vishwa Tamil
Rhythm
Karthikeyan Tamil
2001 Vedham
Vijay Tamil
Hanuman
Junction
Krishna Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as Singakottai
Sri
Manjunatha
Manjunatha Kannada
Telugu
2002 Ezhumalai
Ezhumalai Tamil
2003 Parasuram
Parasuram Tamil
Ottran
Karthik Tamil
Puttintiki
Ra Chelli
Sivanna Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as Anbu Sagotharan
2004 Jaisurya
Jai Anand,
Surya Tamil
Arasatchi
Siddharth Tamil
Sri
Anjaneyam
Lord Anjaneya Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as Hanuman
Giri
Giri (Shiva) Tamil
2005 Chinna
Chinna Tamil
Aanai
Vijay Tamil
2006 Madrasi
Kasi Tamil
Vathiyar
Annadurai Tamil
2007 Manikanda
Manikanda/Raja Tamil
Marudhamalai
Marudhamalai Tamil
Thavam
Guest Appearance Tamil
2008 Swagatam
Srikanth Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as America to Aminjikarai
Durai
Durai (Raja) Tamil
Bommalattam
Vivek Tamil
Thiruvannamalai
Easwaran/Swamiji Tamil
2009 Vayuputra
Kannada Guest appearance
2010 Rama Rama
Krishna Krishna
Ashok Deva Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as Gandhipuram
Vandae
Maatharam
Anwar Hussain Tamil
Malayalam
Vallakottai
Muthuvel (Vayuputhran) Tamil
2011 Mankatha
Prithviraj Tamil
2012 This Weekend
Sanjay Hindi
Dubbed in Tamil as Kaatupuli
Maasi
Maasilamani Tamil
Prasad
Shankar Kannada Winner, Karnataka State Film Award
for Best Actor[41]
2013 Kadal
Bergmans Tamil Winner, Vijay Award for Best Villain
Dubbed in Telugu as Kadali
Attahasa
DGP K. Vijay Kumar
Kannada Nominated,
SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actor
Vana
Yuddham
Tamil Dubbed in Telugu as Veerappan
Moondru
Per Moondru Kaadhal
Harris Tamil
2014 Jai Hind 2
Abhimanyu Tamil
Telugu [42]
Abhimanyu
Kannada [43][44][45]
2015 Oru Melliya
Kodu
Tamil
Game
Kannada
As director, producer, writer and distributor[edit]
Year Title Credited as Language Notes
Director Producer Writer Distributor
1992 Sevagan
Tamil
1993 Prathap
Tamil
1994 Jai Hind
Tamil
1995 Karna
Tamil
1998 Thaayin
Manikodi
Tamil
1998 Thutta Mutta
Kannada
1999 Suyamvaram
Tamil
2001 Vedham
Tamil
2002 Ezhumalai
Tamil
2003 Parasuram
Tamil
2006 Madrasi
Tamil
2006 Vathiyar
Tamil
2007 Thavam
Tamil
2008 Durai
Tamil
2009 Vayuputra
Kannada
2014 Jai Hind 2
Tamil
Telugu [42]
Abhimanyu
Kannada [43][44][45]
As Singer[edit]
Year Film Song Music
director Notes
1995 Mudhal
Udhayam "Raasi Nalla
Raasi" Sankar Ganesh
1995 Karnaa
"Hello Miss Chellama" Vidyasagar
Sang alongside Chetan, Swarnalatha
2003 Parasuram
"Chittukuruvi" A.
R. Rahman
Sang alongside Swarnalatha, Sriram Parthasarathy
2004 Jaisurya
"Kattuna Avala Kattuvenda" Deva
Sang alongside Vadivelu
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