Madhavan. Produced by Big Pictures and Sudhir Mishra, 'Sikandar' is releasing Aug 21.

''Sikandar' is a suspense thriller about children growing in a world which is not good for them. It'll make people talk,' said Singh.

Asked why he is debuting with a negative role, Arunoday said: 'I don't care if it's a negative role. Conventionally I couldn't have waited for a launch as I had no contacts when I came to Mumbai. I was very fortunate to get the part.'

'I didn't want to take the chance of waiting for somebody to cast me in the lead,' he said.

Arunoday returned to India last year after spending nine years in Boston, New York and London.

A theatre actor since the age of 12, he studied and grew up at the Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu. He got a scholarship to attend Brandeis University in Boston, US, where he majored in English literature, creative writing and journalism.

In New York, he took classes at the New York Film Academy and the Actor Studio and 'did odd jobs' like that of a bouncer, a freelance writer and painter 'to pay the rent'.

Before foraying into films, he did plays like 'Gladiator Games' and also gave voiceovers for Discovery London.

With other projects like 'Mirch' and 'Ayesha' in his kitty, Arunoday is 'just looking forward for work' from anywhere.

(Robin Bansal can be contacted at robin.b@ians.in)