Rajinikanth’s co-star, a Mani Ratnam favourite and pan-Indian hearthrob, left showbiz, was bedridden for two years after an accident. Today, he runs a Rs 3,300 crore empire

It is not easy to transition into a new career if you have been active in showbiz, but some actors have managed to succeed in a different field after bidding the world of showbiz adieu. In recent years, 90s actress Mayoori Kango hit headlines after she joined Google India as head of industry in 2019. However, one prominent South Indian star also shared a similar career trajectory. It was none other than Arvind Swamy. Known for starring in hits such as Bombay, Roja, etc., Arvind became a heartthrob in the 90s. At the peak of his career, he left showbiz and built a successful company worth thousands of crores.

Arvind never intended to become an actor. Having obtained a BCom from Loyola College, Madras, and an MBA in international business from Wake Forest University, USA, he was gearing up for a career in corporate. However, he discovered a fondness for showbiz. In college, he often did modelling assignments for pocket money. One of his advertisements eventually caught director Mani Ratnam’s eye, opening the door to an unexpected entry into the world of cinema.

A Big Start

Arvind began his acting career in the 1991 Mani Ratnam-directed Thalapathi, starring Rajinikanth. He essayed the role of a young district collector. Before long, he was cast as Rishi, a doting young husband who gets kidnapped in front of his wife in the 1992 Ratnam film Roja, and he became a heartthrob across India. He had similar success with the 1995 romantic drama Bombay, which also starred Manisha Koirala opposite him.

Hiatus

After cementing his position as a prominent actor in Tamil cinema, Arvind Swamy returned to Malayalam films in 1996 with Devaraagam, sharing the screen with Sridevi, Nedumudi Venu, Kozhikode Narayanan and Zeenath. He later appeared in Rajiv Menon’s musical Minsara Kanavu, which earned four National Film Awards, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award South. Following Raja Ko Rani Se Pyaar Ho Gaya, co-starring Manisha Koirala, Arvind took a break from acting and withdrew from the film industry.

As per a Rediff report, Arvind worked as the chairman and managing director of ProLease India, a payroll processing company, in 2003. In 2005, he founded his own payroll processing firm, Talent Maximus. As per a RocketReach report, the company’s revenue in 2022 was a whopping Rs 3,300 crore.

Comeback To Showbiz

Swamy returned to acting in 2013 with Mani Ratnam’s Kadal, although the film did not perform well commercially. Two years later, he appeared in Thani Oruvan, a role that brought him renewed critical appreciation and commercial success. He went on to take on diverse projects, including Thalaivii, Custody, Tanvi The Great, and Gandhi Talks.

Arvind also overcame a massive health crisis. Shortly after he founded his own startup, he suffered a severe spinal injury in an accident that left one leg paralysed for years. He regained mobility after years of therapy.

“I had a spinal injury. I was in bed for a couple of years, couldn’t get up and walk ten metres….. I had a partial paralysis of my leg, among a lot of other injuries,” he told Gulf News.