KOCHI: Sudhakara Prabhu is on cloud nine. He is trending as Kochi’s own ‘Superstar’ Rajinikanth.“It happened by chance,” laughs the 63-year-old, who runs a tea shop on Pattalam Road, Fort Kochi. “It all began when I stopped dyeing my hair and beard. Suddenly, friends and the local people started commenting that I resemble Rajinikanth.”
Though his wife and four children weren’t big fans of the grey patches, Sudhakara stuck to the new style. “Even A P J Abdul Kalam had a style statement with his straight, silvery hair,” he quips.
Sudhakara ran tea shops in several locations in Kochi, This one was opened after the initial COVID-19 curbs were lifted. “I have been running chayakkadas (tea shops) for 23 years. I enjoy cooking,” he says.
Now, every customer at the shop pauses and gazes at him while relishing their brew. “Even a Japanese tourist recently clicked selfies with me,” he laughs.
Sudhakara’s ‘Thalaivar’ avatar went viral on Thursday, thanks to actor-director Nadirsha, who was in Fort Kochi for a film shoot. Sudhakara, who is a film buff, had visited the set.
“Some people started shouting ‘Rajini vanne (Rajini has arrived)’! This prompted Nadirsha to click a photo with me and upload it on Facebook,” says Sudhakara. “As the pic went viral, I am now getting calls from numerous people. I have even been invited to a public function in Thiruvananthapuram.”
Sudhakara also reveals that his love for films had landed him a minor role in Malayalam film Jallikattu.
“I have watched almost all Rajini films but was never a diehard fan. This look is not something planned. But I am loving it,” he adds.