Actor Arvind Swamy, who recently received the Leadership in Cinema award at the 16th edition of IFFM 2025, reflected on his cinematic journey and the choices that have shaped his career. While recalling Mani Ratnam’s Roja (1992), the film that catapulted him to nationwide recognition, the actor revealed he wasn’t even in the country when the film became a phenomenon.
“In fact, to tell you something interesting, I was not in India for the release of the film. I was actually overseas, doing my master's. After I finished the film, I left to pursue my studies. So, I was not there to see the kind of success that it did have. But it is extremely nostalgic to see the shots of Roja,” Arvind shared, as per a report on IANS.
The Mani Ratnam directorial, which co-starred Madhoo, was among the rare Tamil films of the early ’90s to achieve pan-Indian popularity. Speaking about its legacy, the actor noted, “It was one of the few films to go national in that sense, as it was dubbed in all the languages, etc.”
Over the decades, Arvind has been part of acclaimed films including Bombay, Thalapathi, Minsara Kanavu, Thani Oruvan, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Thalaivi, Meiyazhagan, Daddy Mounam and Devaraagam. Many of his choices stand out for being distinct from conventional star vehicles. Asked if this was a conscious attempt, he clarified, “No, it’s not like I’m seeing what’s been done and trying to do something that’s not been done. I’m just going after films that I think make sense to me, and I don’t want to make choices based on commerce."
“So, if somebody throws a challenge, then I need to be in doubt about whether I can pull it off the way I want to. And that’s what inspires me to work at it. If it’s easy, then I don’t want to do it.”
In 2021, the 55-year-old also turned director with the Netflix anthology Navarasa. On receiving the IFFM honour, he remained humble about his achievements: “Firstly, it's an honour. Thank you so much. I don't know what the award means to me, like I said. I am still on a quest to learn and to do my job well.”
Reflecting further, he added, “I think over the years I have made choices not based on commercial success but for what I thought were good stories to tell, good people to work with and maybe something I have done onscreen has been inspirational for people. Probably that’s my way of making a meaning of the award itself.”
