Actor Arvind Krishna, recipient of the ‘Vegan Voice’ award at the Vegan India Conference, engages in an exclusive conversation with The Pioneer, sharing his experience at the event, his workout routine and providing insight into his upcoming project Masterpiece.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Jacqueline Fernandez and actor Arvind Krishna were caught a sight of at the Vegan India Conference, where Arvind was also presented with the “Vegan Voice” award! However, learning that he is a former basketball player, now turned actor, made us even more curious to learn around his journey. That’s when we got wind of this exclusive interview!
We spoke with the Telugu actor, who is currently shooting for the next schedule of his film.
“I had an eye-opening experience at the vegan conference,” begins the Shukra fame. “From physicians to dietitians to campaigners, I witnessed an entire panel. Ask me about the advantages of becoming vegan; I’m quite delighted about it (He laughs)! I’m sure you’ll notice if you see me.” The SIT fame goes on to say, “We had a lot of discussions on the inceptions of protein… all this while, me turning into a vegan has only taught me how to have a balanced diet.” Not that his busy schedule prevents him in any way, though. “I observe that a lot of individuals place too much emphasis on eating enough protein! You know what? Not many other supplements are as beneficial.”
We found it quite agreeable that he is also an athlete and that his veganism and physical prowess go hand in hand. In the same vein, we inquire, “Being vegan has improved my recuperation times from workouts significantly. I enjoy working out a bit more these days. My respiration and endurance have improved with them, which is something else I’ve observed. This is really helpful to me as an actor because, well, look at that skin and hair! You see, it also provides me with an advantage.” For our viewers in the south, he provided a revelation: “I am working on my upcoming Telugu film titled Masterpiece. Hurray, I am a superhero in the film. I spent 19 hours nonstop filming a sequence in which I had to battle 12 different fighters. The entire team was shocked to see me punching and kicking without eating for a whole day at the end of the shoot. Look at the endurance it provided me, guys—it’s all because I rigorously adhere to a vegan diet. To me, that seemed like a win.”
The JNTU Hyderabad alum says, “As you rightly pointed out, whether or not shooting, the day is definitely demanding for me,” when describing a normal day in his routine. “Since my shooting schedule has begun, I get up really early to work out. My fitness regimen consists of workouts that enhance my strength on the court, such as strength exercises. Keeping up with my nutrition while travelling is the true challenge.”
In case you’re wondering about the passionate athlete’s future, he shares with us the story of how he won a basketball title in front of 60,000 spectators. “And the host team was our opponent. Every audience member was watching us because we defeated the home team. I could see the change right away because they began to stand by us. I believe we played a really hard game.” Naturally, what a sight to see!
And when he was in Japan, it was really, really cold. Being the sole Indian player on the team was another aspect of the experience that he cherished.
A fervent supporter of “show, don’t just tell,” he pronounces, “With Masterpiece, we are giving India their own native sci-fi movie with a lot of mix of mythology in it,” says Alasyam Amrutham fame. “It’s an ambitious project that I have been working on for the last three and a half years. We are looking at the release later this year, as an international production studio is handling all of the CGI. I’m going to be in another film, this time as a travel photographer. The other is a police officer! But let me just say that because it’s all about conviction, I’ve found that playing the part of a superhero has been the most difficult.”
Well, we hope readers are aware that he has collaborated with major celebs like Rajnikanth and Ravi Teja. Here are a few unique anecdotes in case it’s not! “ It’s a funny story because I said, ‘Who is Rajnikanth?’ when the production team contacted me to say they were from his movie. I could never have envisioned landing a role in the movie Thailava, but when it finally dawned on me, I thought, ‘Oh my god, superstar Rajnikanth.’ Bringing intense media glare to basketball as an actor is another goal of mine.”
While the actor is currently held up with the shoot of the film, Arvind on the other hand, has also been wishing to spread more and more awareness about a healthier and sustainable lifestyle through veganism.
