From politics to...er, terrorism?

Actor Arunoday Singh is debuting in Sudhir Mishra and Reliance BIG Pictures’ film Sikandar — and if you are wondering who this new kid on the block is, sit up straight because we have some very interesting news. We’ve learnt that Arunoday is the grandson of veteran Indian National Congress party politician Arjun Singh, union minister of Human Resource Development in Manmohan Singh’s government. But, more interestingly, this 26-year-old actor plays the role of a terrorist leader in the film. Ironic, isn’t it?

“My family has given me the freedom to do what I feel like and they don’t really bother about what role I’m playing. I’m an actor and I will do roles that move and challenge me,” he told After Hrs.

Arunoday is essentially a theatre actor who has classically trained with James Price and DJ Mendel in New York, and has performed in off-Broadway productions and various Shakespeare adaptations with the Actor’s Center in London. He says he likes to climb the ladder of success the hard way rather than using his family name.

“You have to work hard to get better in any profession. I love to audition for every role that I’m approached for. I have never used my family name for any of the assignments. Most people don’t know where I hail from or who my parents are,” he says, adding, “I don’t think politics is up my alley and my family is cool about what I’m doing.”