Prem always impresses with his versatility. He is often seen dabbling with departments of filmmaking. Be it acting, directing, songwriting or playback singing, Prem jumps into either or all roles with gusto.
Known as master of all trades, Prem chose to act in Dasavala, directed by MS Ramesh. “Dasavala is supposed to be every God’s favourite flower and it is even more sacred when it is offered at an idol’s feet. But, the same flower when tucked behind the ear, connotes a different and funny meaning. Dasavala is about the humourous dualities in life and about the serious issues that provoke humour,” he says.
Though Prem often takes up scripts based on village life, he does not admit to any such typecasting. “More than talking about ‘village and city’ subjects, my films are about their content. There is variety in village-based themes, there is no similarity in my looks or my acting in these films. I have accepted a couple of more films after Dasavala, which should appeal to both the classes and masses,” says Prem who prefers not being defined by the films he picks.
“I have always lived up to the character I have been offered to play and I look forward to being part of realistic cinema. People who saw Preethi Eke Bhoomi Melide thought it was a classy subject. Likewise, Dasavala is a realistic story and has been shot to represent everyday life. I love being part of films, where I can be natural. I even request our make-up artistes not to put make-up on me. I like to reach my audiences with my realistic picture in terms of my personality and my acting,” he says.
As a director, Prem casts actors the same way his directors cast him. “Today, people’s acceptance is very important. People who watched Preethi... thought that the film is good but the climax was not upto the mark. People thought that I was too sentimental in Prem Adda and made them cry. Though I have been acting in different kinds of films, I never thought of myself as a hero and nor do I act like one. I can’t be pulling off stunts that don’t suit my personality.
“A couple of producers bought the remake rights to some Telugu films and expected me to act in those; they were mass entertainers. In fact, they wanted me to remake the Telugu film, Gabbar Singh, which I rejected because I knew I would not suit the role,” he says.
His next film after Dasavala is released will be My Name is Byregowda which will be produced by his wife, Rakshita. “This is the second film under our home banner. My Name is Byregowda is a big-budget film and will be shot in six cities across the States. The highlight of this film is that I will be working with senior actor Ambareesh for the first time. Other casting details will be announced as and when we finalise them,” Prem says.
Wanting to concentrate on being an actor for the moment, Prem is not picking up any project as a director. “This is the one question I am asked by my fans across Karnataka and I am working on it. I long to work again with Appu (Puneeth Rajkumar), for which I have developed a script, which will also suit Sudeep. I will take up direction next year and make an announcement on it at the beginning of 2014,” he says.