Prabhudeva uncut

An encounter with southern superstar Prabhudeva shows that his charm is as captivating as his dance

Ladies, Prabhudeva is single ready to mingle! The recently turned 40 tall, dark and arguably handsome Indian superstar was in Melbourne in June to attend the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

“It’s all about work and only work for me at the moment, but who knows I might find someone here in Melbourne,” said Prabhudeva with a mischievous smile, when asked if there was any special person in his life at the moment. A divorce from wife Ramlath and a split with actress Nayantara saw Prabhudeva join the ranks of the very eligible. His celebrity status, the almost godlike reverence from innumerable fans, the box office success of his super-hit movies and his recent foray into Hindi films has kept him occupied, but he is open to sharing his life with the ‘right person’.

South Indian sensation

Prabhudeva was in Melbourne to also promote his upcoming film Ramaya Vastavaiya that is slated for release on July 19. Accompanying him was the film’s hero, newcomer Girish Taurani, son of managing director of Tips Industries Limited, Kumar Taurani. Girish will feature in this film produced by his father, opposite Shruti Hassan, daughter of veteran actor Kamal Hassan and Sarika.

Prabhudeva not only directed this film, he also took up the role of mentor for Girish and groomed him for three years to prepare him for his debut in the Hindi film industry. Indian Link had a chat with Prabhudeva and Girish at the opening night of the IFFM.

Prabhudeva’s magical touch that has made him a household name in south India, has worked in the Hindi film industry as well, with box office hits like Any Body Can Dance and Rowdy Rathore. He does not, however, find the two industries dissimilar. “The difference is in the units, each film has a different cast, story line, location etc. but I do not think that there is anything that sets apart the industries in the south or the north, I work equally hard for both,” said Prabhudeva.

“I am happy if my films are commercially successful, if they gain critical acclaim as well, I consider that as a bonus!” he added. Besides directing films, Prabhudeva has also worked as an actor, dancer and choreographer, and dealt with several aspects of film-making. According to him, of all these roles he gains the maximum satisfaction from being a dancer. “I love dancing, I even dance to songs when I am behind the camera,” he said in reply to my question about how he keeps fit and fabulous.

Fitness was definitely on the agenda for Girish Taurani, judging by the muscles that adorned his biceps that were quite at odds with his chocolate hero looks.

According to reports, Prabhudeva spent considerable time and efforts in helping Girish to learn dance techniques in preparation for his debut in the film industry. Are dancing abilities inborn or something that can be learnt? “I did not teach Girish how to dance; I helped him to get a feel of dancing and to gain confidence as a dancer,” said Prabhudeva. Girish backed him by referring to a dialogue in ABCD (Any body can dance) where Prabhudeva says that dancing is within us, even the heart beats to a rhythm, and rhythm is a part of our lives and our souls. “You do not have to be a good dancer to dance, you just have to enjoy it,” said Girish coming across as quite media savvy for someone who is yet to achieve stardom. Did he have to go through the struggles and grind of a newcomer in the industry, or did the Taurani name help make things easier for Girish? “I had my father’s backing but it was still not easy, I went through all the struggles that newcomers face including auditions, repeated rehearsals and having to prove myself,” said Girish. Declaring his passion for films he added, “Ever since I was old enough to think about my future, I have wanted to be in films. I live, breathe and even dream about films. My father was happy to support me once he saw me working hard towards my goals”. Although this new kid on the block has influential backing, Girish does not wish to be categorised as a chocolate hero, macho man or an angry young man. “As an actor, I would like to be all of the above and not be restricted to any one category; however if the audience gives me a tag, I am sure I will learn to appreciate it,” he said diplomatically.

Speaking about his upcoming film Ramaiya Vastavaiya, Girish said that it was a family entertainer packed with Prabhudeva masala “All my energies are focused on this film at the moment, I want people to watch it and enjoy it,” he said enthusiastically, plugging the film with Prabhudeva. “His dad has put in a lot of money in this film,” revealed Prabhudeva with candour. “It is a musical, romantic comedy and a ‘feel good movie’. We have worked very hard for this film and I believe hard work always pays. I think people will enjoy Ramaiya Vastavaiya,” he said with quiet confidence, as we wrapped up the conversation.

The duo continued to promote their film at the gala opening night of the IFFM, and during the Q&A session that followed, some aspiring young hearts were probably broken when it was revealed that Girish was already married. However there still remains the opportunity to woo the super-talented, megasuccessful, highly flexible god of dance. Any takers?

Although this new kid on the block has influential backing, Girish does not wish to be categorised as a chocolate hero, macho man or an angry young man