HYDERABAD: You run out of adjectives to describe Prakash Raj. The man can act, direct, produce, and speak fluently in every south Indian language (apart from Hindi and English) and does it so seamlessly that it makes you feel like it’s something very natural. Prakash hails from Karnataka, lives in Tamil Nadu and has been a permanent fixture in Telugu cinema for the past two decades. A national-award winning actor, he’s a cinematic giant.
Two years after his directorial trilingual Ulavacharu Biryani, Prakash Raj returns to the director’s seat with Telugu-Kannada bilingual Mana Oori Ramayanam (Idolle Ramayana in Kannada).
Inspired by a Malayalam film, it is a funny take on the Ramayana, in the sense that it uses characters from the epic as qualities in real life.
“People always say ‘We need a husband like Rama’ or a wife like Sita or ‘Why is he behaving like a Rakshasha?’. Ramayana’s characters are qualities inside each one of us. Rama is inside us, Raavana is also inside us. It is up to us whether to be a good guy or a bad guy. Mana Oori Ramayanam is a funny take on the dual characters in us and what are we when we are alone. It is an introspection, a story about laughing at yourself and at realising yourself,” shares Prakash Raj.
Given the fact that he acts in five different languages, apart from directing and producing films, Prakash Raj is one of the busiest actors in India. And yet, he finds time to do the things that he enjoys. “The busiest man on earth is the one who has a little more time. I like to write, to produce, to act, to direct, to farm, to travel. I do all this and still have a little more time. Because I know the value of time and I don’t like to waste even a second,”he says.
While his talent as an artiste is well-known, Prakash Raj also made headlines for adopting a village in the backward Mahbubnagar district in Telangana. The actor says he chose that village simply because it was right next to his own farmhouse in the district.
“While adopting the village, it did not cross my mind whether I am from Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. I am a human being. I believe, first clean your neighbourhood. I felt that after coming this far in my journey, I have to give back something to life. I’m not doing it as a charitable cause, I’m doing it because it’s my responsibility as a human being,” he passionately shares.
The 51-year-old actor-filmmaker added his voice to the long list of film personalities that criticised the ban on artists from Pakistan in the wake of the Uri terror attacks, saying artistes are not terrorists. “This is sad because you should look at artists as global citizens. They are not terrorists. What do you gain by stopping art? What do you gain by stopping journalists or filmmakers or sportspersons? They are not connected to it,” the multitasker points out.
With the Telugu film industry is undergoing a significant change, especially in terms of better content being brought into mainstream cinema, the movie veteran believes that the filmmakers and audience must work together to bring change.
“Every industry has a cycle. Good films will come and then commercial films will rule and then a new type of cinema will come. It is a constant process. Commercial films have different entertainment value, it’s not that they are always bad. At the same time, we also need to make good cinema. It is the responsibility of the filmmakers as well as the audience, together to create space for it,” he observes.
While appreciating the young talent coming into the industry, the actor was critical of “certain people” who try to create a “mafia-like atmosphere” in the industry. “There are so many talented youngsters coming up that there is space for them to thrive in this industry. Somebody needs to let go, somebody need not rule or create a mafia-like situation. They have to live and let live. Nature has a way for things to fall in place and balancing everything out,” he expresses.
Up next, he will be seen in the popular Bollywood franchise Golmaal 4. “I’m also planning to direct another film. The story is almost ready and I’ll start work in December,” he signs off.