Tarun Arora & T. N. Santhosh Movies Together List — 3 Films

The shape of the work

Tarun Arora acted in every film; T. N. Santhosh directed all of them.

Partnership facts

• Tarun Arora said about Santhosh in a 2019 interview: 'He doesn't direct actors. He traps them. You walk into his scene thinking you know your lines, and by the end, you've said things you never rehearsed. That's his magic.'
• Tarun Arora was the one who pushed for T. N. Santhosh to direct him in 'Kanithan' (2016). Santhosh was hesitant because he thought Tarun's image was too urban for the gritty role. Tarun convinced him by showing up to a meeting in a lungi and a worn-out shirt.
• On the sets of 'Mudra' (2018), Santhosh would deliberately not tell Tarun the full backstory of a scene before rolling camera. He wanted Tarun's reactions to be raw and unplanned. Tarun later said this method made him feel like he was discovering the character in real time.
• The success of 'Mudra' (2018) directly led to Santhosh being offered bigger-budget projects. Tarun recommended him to producers for 'Arjun Suravaram' (2019), which became Santhosh's first film with a major star like Nikhil. Without Tarun's push, that film might not have happened.
• During the shoot of 'Arjun Suravaram' (2019), Tarun and Santhosh had a falling out over a script change. They didn't speak for three days. Santhosh eventually broke the silence by sending Tarun a plate of his favorite biryani with a note that said 'Finish the scene first, fight later.'