After a rather interesting interview with actor Arulnithi, where we spoke about Michael Jordan, chess, ginger ale, local cricket tournaments, and his upcoming film, Arulvaan, we exchanged phone numbers. When I told him that I already had his number, Arulnithi said, “Oh, then why haven’t you ever texted me before?” It wasn’t exactly a joke or a sarcastic jibe. It was just the way he operated. He wants you to lower your guard, especially since he does the same from time to time. “Over the past 15-odd years, I have ensured people know that I have a casual approach, and I am careful about not hurting anyone with my words,” says Arulnithi, who is incidentally the grandson of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

In Ganesh Vinayakan’s Arulvaan, Arulnithi plays District Collector Muthuvel, inspired by a real-life bureaucrat who lived in the 50s. “See, in films like Vamsam or even Mounaguru, I was playing fictional characters. But in Arulvaan, I felt a mixture of fear and responsibility while essaying the role of a Collector. It is a film that talks about the importance of education, and I wanted to get it absolutely right,” says the actor, who asserts that he isn’t the ‘Hero’ of the film. “There is a young actor called Krithika who is playing the character of Kurinji. She is the fulcrum of the film, and every other actor, including Ramya Pandian, Arav, and myself, are just playing parts in her story.” 

Despite being in the Tamil film industry for over 15 years, Arulnithi hasn’t done a lot of films that project him as a ‘Hero’ and he points out that it is just a label, and going ahead, cinema will not be defined by just the ‘Hero’ or ‘Heroine’. “Isn’t cinema all about the characters in the story? Of course, being the ‘Hero’ gives you a sense of confidence, but what is the point of being one if the film isn’t working in its entirety?” asks Arulnithi, who is also pragmatic about the perks that come with this label. “Of course, when someone says my performance is good, I am elated. Say, 10 years later, someone says I did well as the hero of a film, I’d still be happy. There is a high that comes with it. But the thing is, chasing that high is not the focus of my career. That’s not why I am in this journey.” 

This pragmatism also extends to how he sees his own journey, especially when many actors who debuted alongside him or after him have risen even higher on the ladder of stardom. “See, their tracks are different than mine. What if I take that track, fail miserably, and lose my footing on home turf?” asks Arulnithi, pointing out another reason why he might not have catapulted himself into the big leagues. “Other actors have travelled on tracks that reached the mass crowds much more easily. I have done a lot of thrillers, and even there, I have done enough variations. But most of them have been certified ‘U/A’ or ‘A,’ and I probably haven’t captured the imaginations of the younger generations. However, I can’t abruptly change tracks, either,” says Arulnithi, exuding a lot of clarity on how he wants to position himself in Tamil cinema.

It is best exemplified in the next set of films coming from his stable. There is the third instalment of his successful horror franchise Demonte Colony. He also has My Dear Sister, an emotional brother-sister film that co-stars Mamta Mohandas. There is Vettasaami, an action-packed revenge drama with a strong friendship at its core, and Vasanthabalan’s next, which is a new genre for both the actor and the filmmaker. While this is an eclectic mix of genres, Arulnithi is still synonymous with two things: Thrillers and his ‘Thug Life’ responses in interviews. While he is definitely trying to move out of his comfort zone and shake off the tag of acting mostly in thrillers, Arulnithi finds himself in a conundrum with the other label, as this demeanour also makes some not take him seriously as an actor. “Honestly, there have been people who said that I am being projected in a certain way, which is quite different from the kind of films I do. My interviews make many people happy and put smiles on audiences' faces, but do you think the reach of an interview helps a film's reach?” asks Arulnithi, who reiterates that he is just being spontaneous, and that can’t be held against him. “If that has to change, the questions should change, or in fact, I should not be myself in the interviews… But where is the fun in that?” signs off Arulnithi.