Interview: Captain has more to it than Indian Army & alien creature, says Arya

Captain features Aishwarya Lekshmi as the leading lady. Simran, Harish Uthaman, Kavya Shetty, Bharath Raj, Gokulnath and Thiagarajan will be seen in crucial roles. Pradeep E Ragav is the editor for this D Immam musical.

The action thriller is all set to hit the silver screens on 8 September — both in Tamil and Telugu (dubbed). Against this backdrop, the Sarpatta Parambarai star visited Hyderabad on Tuesday, 6 September, to promote the film.

In his interaction with the media here, Arya revealed a few details about Captain, why it was difficult to shoot, his OTT debut, and how things have changed after the birth of his daughter.

Q. The trailer of Captain shows you and your team fighting an alien creature. Is that what Captain is all about?

A. In the film, I play the role of a captain in the Indian Army, and our team fights the creature to keep people safe. People have been comparing our project with Predator since the trailer’s launch. Though the film is made on those lines, there is a lot more to it.

Captain is not entirely about that alien creature or about the Indian Army and what happens within. It is more about the threat looming large on human beings in general. It is more of an audio and visual experience.

Q. What was the most difficult part of shooting for Captain?

Arya’s Captain is an action thriller where the actor and his team are seen fighting an alien creature. (arya_offl/Twitter)

A. It was definitely the climax. This creature lies about 100-foot above the ocean and 20-foot inside the water. And that is what we had to imagine, act accordingly, and shoot.

At the same time, the climax was shot underwater. We were there for nearly two hours to complete a scene, that too with the scuba diving gear on.

We used to take a break every 2-3 hours and that’s how we shot the climax. The entire team worked really hard for the film.

Q. Were you not apprehensive about saying “yes” to such a script, given the fact that the Indian audiences have seen quite a few films like Predator which revolved around such alien creatures?

A. Had it not been for director Shakti, I’d have said “no” to the script, without a second thought. Right from the beginning, Shakti was clear about what he wanted to make and portray on the big screen. He was very confident about the story.

He always captures what he thinks/narrates and also ensures that nothing changes when the film finally makes it to the theatres.

As I had worked with him already (2021 released Teddy), I was sure about this flick. We wanted to make Captain on a large scale — more like a Hollywood film. Within the budget, we managed to bring out the best.

#Captain Team is ready to meet you in theatres ??????#CaptainFromSep8
See u all ? @ShaktiRajan @immancomposer @thinkmusicindia @RedGiantMovies_ @tkishore555 @Udhaystalin @ThinkStudiosInd pic.twitter.com/h38T6r9CBi

— Arya (@arya_offl) September 6, 2022

Q. After a gap of about three years, a film of yours is being released in theatres. I believe you have high hopes for its success.

A. Yes. Both Sarpatta Prambarai and Teddy were released directly on OTT in 2021. I’m glad that they both did really well.

Now that Captain is all set to hit the cinema halls, I do have great hopes for its success. Telugu audiences have always showered me with their love.

Raja Rani helped me win their hearts and carve a niche in the market here. I believe that Captain will do its magic and bring me closer to the viewers again.

Arya won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award in the best actor category for his 2013 film Raja Rani. (arya_offl/Twitter)

Q. Tell us about your OTT debut.

A. I worked with Amazon Prime Video for a web series called The Village. It is gory and violent, and there will be bloodshed. The series is under post-production now and it will be streamed on Amazon Prime mostly next year.

Q. By the way, how is fatherhood? How are the little one and Sayyesha?

A. Both Sayyesha and our daughter are doing great. Our little one is 13 months old now. I’m really enjoying fatherhood, though I don’t get to spend much time with my daughter due to my profession.

My wife is mostly taking care of her and I’m trying to give them as much time as possible. Sayyesha is managing everything and has absolutely no complaints about me getting busier with projects. Indeed, she’s supporting me in every possible way.