Dhurandhar is continuing its record-breaking spree at the box office, both at home and across the world. In exactly two months, the sequel of the Aditya Dhar directorial, fronted by Ranveer Singh, will arrive in theatres. Along with Ranveer Singh's Hamza Ali Mazari, an Indian intelligence agent who goes deep undercover in Pakistan's Lyari, Sara Arjun will also return as Yalina Jamali.
Sara Arjun, a well-established child star known for her work in films such as Deiva Thirumagal, Saivam, Ek Thi Daayan, and the Ponniyin Selvan movies, transitioned as a lead actor with Dhurandhar.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, actor Sara Arjun opens up about Dhurandhar's highly-anticipated part two, her character Yalina Jamali, and her upcoming Telugu film Euphoria.
Nobody expected Dhurandhar to become a box office phenomenon and that's what has surprised everyone. The spy action thriller has been in cinemas across the country for 46 days now and has crossed Rs 1,300 crore mark globally. Like fans, Sara Arjun is also excited to see the reaction of the viewers to Dhurandhar Part 2 on March 19.
"The audiences have high expectations already after part one, but you can just expect a lot more of everything that you loved already in part one, be it action, be it the story, everything. There's a lot more of all that coming in part two," said the 20-year-old actor.
In Dhurandhar, Sara Arjun plays Yalina Jamali, the headstrong daughter of a scheming Pakistani politician Jameel Jamali (Rakesh Bedi), who falls in love with Hamza and eventually gets married to him.
Sara Arjun said she attended workshops for some time to understand her character better, adding she used to discuss her arc with Aditya Dhar.
"I really like how she just thinks with her heart. This is a girl who is very strong, and at the same time, she is so smitten, and she is following her heart. You will see Yalina's true strength... The actual scope of my character is in part two, mostly... We had a lot of discussion initially, before starting on.
"We kept throwing ideas on how she would be as a person. We wanted to show that she's a very happy and bright soul, and then eventually the course that follows and her journey through the film, the pain will be more justified later on... In general, Yalina is a bit similar to who I am. So, I held on to those (similarities)... Ideally all characters should matter to the story and not be just a prop. I look at that as their minimum, to be honest."
Before Dhurandhar Part 2 hits the screens, the actor will be seen in director Gunasekhar's film Euphoria. The film, set to be released on February 6, marks Sara Arjun's debut in Telugu cinema in a leading role.
The actor said Euphoria follows the story of children in conflict with the law.
"I play a young girl named Chaitra who's kind of caught in the system. It's a very strong character that shows a lot of resilience. I signed this film before Dhurandhar. I was 18 at the time because I was just so drawn to the story and the content of the film that I just felt this urge to be a part of presenting a story like this," she added.
What's next for Sara Arjun after Dhurandhar Part 2 is released? The Mumbai-based actor said she has stopped looking at cinema in terms of the north versus south divide.
"We have come to a stage right now where it's all just pan India... About what my next step is, nothing is decided as of now. I have no idea what I'll do after March. And, I'm saying that in a very good way.
"I really like this uncertainty because it keeps me on the receiving end... The kind of stories I would like to go for is that they have to be really strong, but I would really like to strive for something that has a lot of emotional depth and scope for me as an actor," she said.
Sara Arjun may have got a lot of eyes on her after the success of Dhurandhar, but she is taking her moment in the sun one day at a time.
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