Laughing away the lull
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Prashanth discusses his career as it stands today. MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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BUSY AGAIN:Prashanth
IT HAS always been a kind of hide and seek game with Prashanth. A formal interview would invariably be followed by long spells of silence before you spoke to him again.
The last time you had met him was when "Jai" was about to begin. Then "Jai" happened and came a cropper and Prashanth seemed to have gone into a cocoon. You didn't hear from the hero for a while — even after "Shock" released and did quite well. So it was a surprise when he greeted you with a hearty "Hi," recently. Sounding exuberant, friendly, philosophical and mature all at once Prashanth was at his effusive best that evening. Just a week ago he has begun shooting for his new film, `Thagappan Sami,' with Namita and Sandhya as heroines.
Hari, Susi Ganesan, Ravichandran ... many directors have made their debut with Prashanth. "I grab good scripts. And of course, dad's there to help me out." Actor Thyagarajan, Prashanth's father has a lot of say, in his son's career. But some filmmakers see it as interference ... "People don't try to get matters clarified with us. My father is experienced and hence careful, that's all." Prashanth defends his stand and adds: "I went out of my way to help dad's friends in the industry and ended up losing money ... "
Career moves
There had been a sudden lull in Prashanth's career. "That was because `Jai' got unduly delayed. Those whom we thought we could rely on let us down ... But I bounced back with `Shock.' The number of projects I work in means little to me," he says. Disappointments seem to have steeled this man.
Mention Sundar C. and Prashanth cheerfully responds: "Sundar and I share a fantastic rapport. He understands my positives well. `Winner' our earlier film together is still raking it in, in the B and C centres ... Again `Aayudham' did much better than I expected." But the similarities between `Ghilli' and `Aayudham' were quite obvious ... "Right ... but I suggested they bring in some novelty and that was why we had new villain Subburaj."
Besides "Adaikkalam," a very different story, which he raves about, Prashanth has more than half a dozen projects in hand. One or two of which, you hear, are mired in controversy. "Gautam's assistant Morgan will be directing me in a film. For the first time I will look different in it. As of now dad is talking to a lot of people for our mega venture, `Police,' a remake of `Khakhee,'" Prashanth informs.
Then out of the blue he says, "Arun weds Harini" and laughs. Now what's that? "That will be a project with Mukil ... " he says. All that's fine but when exactly does he plan to tie the knot and turn family man? "Wish me good luck yaar ... hopefully it should happen soon," Prashanth guffaws.
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