Tollywood actor Aberaam Varma speaks about his latest outing Eakam and how the movie influenced his life

Always a fan of cinema, Aberaam Varma’s strongest desire was to be in front of the camera and act. After making his debut with Hora Hori, the young actor worked in Manu, a crowd-funded movie, and rocked his part as Ranga. With his recent release Eakam, a philosophical and spiritual drama, he has surely become the talk of the town. The drama not only impressed the audience but also won several awards at two film festivals, Dream Machine International Film Festival and Global India International Film Festival. We chat with Aberaam about Eakam and his work as he wraps up the shooting of his next project — Neetho directed by Balu Sharma.

Can you tell us about your character Anand in Eakam?

The movie talks about five different characters, each representing an element in the universe. My character, Anand, represents the wind. He is quite a troubled guy as he lost his parents when he was a child, and his girlfriend breaks up with him after he loses his job. Often when we face situations like these, there is a chance that we can spiral backwards, but Anand is not that regular boy. Instead, he goes on a journey of soul searching and tries to explore what helps him grow as a person. He transforms in various ways, ends up as a hippie, and writes a book titled Eakam. That is the crux of the movie you can say.

What kind of prep did it take to play a layered character like this?

In a way, when the filming started, I was going through a similar phase in my life too. It was then that the director, Varun Vamsi, introduced me to a book called Living With Himalayan Monks, and after reading it, I can tell you that I was a calmer person. The stories also helped me to play this part. And, physically, you can see that I had to lose a lot of weight.

Is there a role you’d like to play?

I enjoy science-fiction movies, so to be a part of something like that would be amazing. Also, I am equally fond of superheroes, and want to play Spiderman if given a chance.

Is there an actor you look up to?

There are loads. But, I genuinely get inspired by people who are outsiders and make it on their own without any support. The kind of work that actors like Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Vijay Sethupathi do motivates me.

Besides movies, what else interests you?

You can find me either binge-watching movies or reading a book.

Your next movie, Neetho’s teaser, has been getting rave reviews. What can we expect from it?

Neetho is a romantic drama and most of the storytelling happens through conversations. The movie is about a ‘rebound’ and precisely about how the millennials deal with relationships, breakups and after.

What’s next for you?

There are a couple of stories that are lined up and I am interested in. I am yet to officially take a call. I have also signed a fun web series with Disney + Hotstar, and can’t wait for you all to watch it.