Arya's first release in 2011 was a cameo appearance in Santhosh Sivan's Malayalam historical-fantasy film Urumi, where he played two characters. The film which also featured Prithviraj, Genelia D'Souza and Nithya Menen, won positive reviews with reviewers from Sify.com labelling it a "miniature masterpiece of moods". In March 2011, he was signed by director Mani Ratnam to essay the role of Arulmozhi Varman in his epic film Ponniyin Selvan, based on the same-titled novel by writer Kalki Krishnamurthy, which however did not materialize.
Arya's initial venture into acting in 2011 was a small part in Santhosh Sivan's Malayalam historical-fantasy film Urumi, where he played dual roles. The movie, featuring Prithviraj, Genelia D'Souza, and Nithya Menen, garnered positive reviews from critics, who commended it as a "miniature masterpiece of moods". In March 2011, Arya was signed by director Mani Ratnam to portray the role of Arulmozhi Varman in his epic film Ponniyin Selvan, based on the novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, which unfortunately never came to fruition.