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Director Arjun Sarja initially planned to rope in Vishwak Sen as the lead actor for Seetha Payanam. The project was officially announced, but due to certain differences, Vishwak Sen exited the film. After a brief delay, Arjun moved ahead with Niranjan as the lead actor. The film also marks the debut of his daughter, Aishwarya Arjun, who plays the female lead. It is now hitting the screens on February 14.
The actor-turned-director interacted with the media through a video call and addressed several questions. When asked why he chose to launch his daughter in Telugu cinema, even though both Kannada and Tamil were options, Arjun said, “The Telugu audience has always showered me with immense love, and the industry has given me so much. That is why I wanted to introduce my daughter Aishwarya here first.”
Clarifying the situation regarding Vishwak Sen, Arjun said the story was initially written with him in mind. “Yes, we had considered Vishwak Sen for the role. But sometimes things don’t go as planned. However, we did not change even a single scene in the script. Niranjan stepped in for the role. There are no issues with Vishwak Sen; everything is settled. Life is a circle — there are no grudges. If things align, we might work together again,” he said.
Speaking about launching his daughter, Arjun addressed the common trend of star sons entering the industry. “Not just sons — daughters are heirs too. There should be no discrimination. We must support their interests. My daughter loves acting, so I introduced her to films,” he said.
Talking about Seetha Payanam, Arjun revealed that the idea had been with him for nearly 13 years. “It stayed with me all these years. I even shared the core idea with my daughter back then. Eventually, I developed it fully. I wanted to introduce her with a meaningful story,” he added.
Arjun also plays a cameo in the film, along with his nephew Dhruva Sarja. When asked about the kind of roles he still wants to explore as an actor, he said, “I want to do all kinds of roles. Abhimanyudu brought me great appreciation. Playing a villain or even a comedian is wonderful. I want to prove myself in every aspect. My next film will be a complete action movie.”
Now that he has returned to direction with Seetha Payanam, Arjun was asked whether he is more comfortable acting or directing. “I have five to six scripts ready. At this point, I prefer directing over acting. My next project will be a mass action film — no love story, no songs, just pure action. I will also play a role that suits my age,” he said.
One of Arjun Sarja’s biggest Telugu hits was Hanuman Junction, in which he starred alongside Jagapathi Babu. When asked about a sequel, he said, “I am keen on making Hanuman Junction 2. I spoke to Jagapathi Babu about it, and he feels the same. But we need the right story. If someone comes up with a strong script, I am ready to produce and direct it myself.”
With many films being re-released these days, Arjun was also asked which of his films he would like to see back on the big screen. “Gentleman,” he replied. “That film is still relevant even today and fits current times. I would love to re-release it.”