Nicknamed ‘30 Years’ for his dialogue in the film Khadgam, Prudhviraj has come a long way since his debut in Aa Okkati Adakku (1992). Having done more than 100 films spanning two decades, Prudhviraj has faced his fair share of struggle in the industry. “It has not been an easy journey. Sometimes, I felt I should go back to my native village, but I always hoped that I would get recognised one day,” says Prudhviraj.
A native of Tadepalligudem, he completed his post-graduation in Economics from Andhra University. “I used to participate in cultural programmes and stage plays. I wanted to be an actor and my mother encouraged me a lot. That’s the reason why I didn’t try for any other job,” he says.
“I met Rao Gopal Rao garu and spent some quality time with him. He is my role model since he taught me many things about the industry,’ he adds.
After Aa Okkati Adakku, Prudhvi left for Chennai to try his luck in Tamil films. “In Chennai, Prabhakar Reddy garu helped me. I was going through a difficult time then, and he recommended me for a job. I worked as a hotel receptionist at night while searching for roles during the day. I had also worked as a supervisor at a guest house and at a video shop too,” he says. When the industry shifted from Chennai to Hyderabad, it was Prabhakar Reddy again who helped Prudhvi here. “Today, I am here because of Prabhakar Reddy and I owe a lot to him,” says Prudhvi.
“I used to stay with another friend in a small room at Krishna Nagar. We would struggle to make ends meet. We used to survive on one kilo of rice for a week,” he adds.
Finally, the actor got his due with the film Loukyam that released last year. “My character Boiling Star Bubbloo was the turning point in my career. I am grateful to Srivaas for offering this character to me. I’m happy that I’ve finally been recognised now,” says the actor.
Now, Prudhviraj will play a pivotal role in Balakrishna’s Dictator. He will also be seen in Ravi Teja’s Kick 2 and Bengal Tiger and the upcoming Ram Charan-Srinu Vaitla film. “Now, I am getting good characters. I’m almost settled now,” says Prudhviraj.
