Producer-turned-actor Jayaprakash is a familiar face on the big screen, and has played a gamut of roles from a cool dad to a menacing baddie. Now, with over 50 films below his belt as an actor, Jayaprakash is thrilled with his recent achievement. “I got to work with none other than Superstar Rajinikanth in Lingaa!” he tells CE. “After so many years in the industry, being in a Rajini film makes me feel completely fulfilled as an actor,” he says.
Jayaprakash tells us how he got the offer. “Director KS Ravikumar offered me a small role of a dam engineer in Lingaa. Though it involved me playing just three scenes, I said yes instantly. Being in a Rajini film and sharing a dialogue with him was an opportunity of a lifetime,” he says.
Jayaprakash says he can’t forget the three days spent on the Lingaa sets at Sagar, near Mangalore. “Though it was raining heavily, the unit was well prepared. Huge tarpaulins that could provide shelter to 100 people at a time, were kept ready. When it rained, around 1,000 people, who were on the sets, would grab the tarpaulins and wait.Once the downpour stopped, we would start the shooting again. All that time, Rajinikanth would wait patiently under an umbrella with everyone. KS Ravikumar and cameraman Ratnavelu never cancelled any shoot because of rains,” he says.
Jayaprakash says he was floored by Rajnikanth’s gesture one day. “Rajini usually stays on the sets even when it’s not his shot. He either sits quietly or chats with some co-stars.Though I’m a huge fan, I didn’t want to disturb him, so I kept to myself. On the third day, I was completely taken by surprise when Rajinikanth got up from his chair and walked upto me. He asked, “Are you a quiet person? I’ve been observing you for two days and you don’t talk much”. I managed to reply despite being totally floored by his humility. He continued chatting with me. He even knew that I was a producer earlier, and asked me if I enjoyed acting now. The 10 minutes of chit chat with the legend is my most cherished moment!”
The icing on the cake was shooting with the Superstar. “I had to confront Rajini with a dialogue, after which he would reply. To have an actual interaction with the legendary Rajinikanth in a film, is the defining moment of my career,” he says.