For someone who has played supporting and intense villain characters so far, getting into a soft role was certainly a different experience for actor Aditya Menon. In the forthcoming film Natyam, directed by Revanth Korukonda, the actor is set to surprise audiences in the role of a dance guru.
“They’ve so far seen me in grey shades, so this role will certainly be one of my unseen avatars for them,” he says, although admitting that playing the part came with a different set of challenges. “That being said, I’ve never got such an opportunity to show such variations, so I grabbed it when I was offered the role.”
Incidentally, he tells us, the film’s leading lady and producer Sandhya Raju (who’s a Kuchipudi dancer herself) taught him the basic notes of the dance form.
Having been in the film industry for around 18 years and worked in multiple languages, Aditya says he’s someone who always wants more.
“Perhaps it’s that attitude, which kept me going in search of unchartered territories for exciting offers,” he says, adding that every step in his career took him to better heights.
Not many know that the actor is also a foodie and a good cook. “I can make multiple cuisines. I like traveling and history, too. In fact, chasing historical references while traveling excites me,” he tells us. The multifaceted actor is also rather vocal on social and political issues, something that’s hard to miss if one glances at his social media handles.
Recently, he even started his own YouTube channel to add to his voice. “I believe patriotism has to be shown by service. To me, patriotism is trying to love the country and making it better, while nationalism is also loving the country but accepting the nonsense that’s going on. I hope to dispel the misinformation that causes the nonsense,” he says, describing it as his way of serving the country and adding that unless we as a country learn and respect history, we’ll keep repeating the same mistakes.
