The recently released Kalakeya poster of Baahubali is being touted to be the best among the nine released so far. And most did not realise that the person in the poster was none other than Prabhakar of Maryada Ramanna fame.
A shy person, Prabhakar says that he was never interested in films. “I am mad about cricket and since childhood, I would play a lot of cricket,” says the huge actor from Kodangal village in Mahabubnagar district.
After his Intermediate, he came to Hyderabad for a marriage, where a relative promised to get him a job in the Railway Police due to his physique. “I waited for six years but nothing happened,” he says.
While struggling in the city and looking for jobs, Prabhakar heard that Rajamouli was looking for people for Magadheera. “One of my friends took me where the selection was going on. Rajamouli sir saw me but did not say anything,” he says about his first meeting with the director. Rajamouli then took him to Rajasthan, where Magadheera was being shot, and observed Prabhakar for some time.
“After I came back to Hyderabad, I started looking for jobs again and I never thought that I would get a chance to act with Rajamouli sir,” says Prabhakar. But one day, one of Rajamouli’s assistants called Prabhakar and took him to Rajamouli’s house, where he was told that he was being given a role in Maryada Ramanna.
When he told Rajamouli that he did not know acting, the director sent him to Devdas Kanakala to learn acting. He even gave him a stipend of Rs 10,000 for every month. He also got remuneration separately for the film. “I paid all my debts with that remuneration,” he says.
“Rajamouli sir gave me a new life and today, I am here because of him,” adds Prabhakar, who has even named his son after the director.
After Maryada Ramanna, Prabhakar did not look back. He has done many films since then like Seema Tapakai, Dookudu, Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum and the recent Dongata.
“When I was in Polachi, shooting Atharintiki Daredi, I got a call from Rajamouli sir that I would be playing a character in Baahubali," says Prabhakar.
