It's Prakash's 'Raj' in Sandalwood

This multi-talented national award-winning actor, now able director is a force to reckon with in the Indian cinema industry. With more than 300 films to his credit, and having worked with more than 200 different directors in numerous award winning movies, Prakash Raj is back with his hat-trick directorial bilingual venture —Idolle Ramayana in Kannada and Mana Oori Ramayanam in Telugu, which marks the coming together of five national award-winning film personalities including himself —multiple national award-winning musical maestro Ilayaraja, art director Shashidhar Adapa, editor Sreekar Prasad and actress Priyamani, for his version of Ramayana inspired by the Malayalam movie Shutter.  

He speaks about his directorial venture, about being a father, farmer, about adopting a village, his love for food, and most of all, walking on the universal path of brotherhood.

“I felt like sharing something about me, after I saw my daughter for the first time, and that was my directorial debut Nanu Nanna Kanasu. Thereafter, I wanted to talk about loneliness with a pinch of love for food, and that is why I made Oggarane, and now Idolle Ramayana. In fact, I never went with a focus on becoming a director. I was more than happy being an father, a good husband and a farmer. There was a deep sense of inner joy and satisfaction, when I decided to adopt Kondareddypally village (in Keshampet mandal, Mahabubnagar district of Telangana). However, after working with more than 200 directors, I too wanted to be able to say a few things through my direction,” explains Prakash Raj.

He further adds that as an actor, he wasted a lot of time but after taking up direction, he started gaining knowledge — from knowing the cinematic side of things, and every other department. Direction is akin to being a painter, who absorbs inspiration from his vivid imagination, and then empties his thoughts into a painting. He, then starts all over again, after encountering new thoughts, Raj feels.

“Acting for me is my profession, which I do for my bread and butter, but direction is something beyond just earning and it fulfills my inner urge to convey my thoughts,” he adds.

Insofar as Idolle Ramayana is concerned, Prakash Raj shares that it is a short story inspired by a Malayalam film, and talks about the qualities within all of us.

“It happens over a period of two days during the Ramanavami celebrations in a village, and it’s about gentry and the opposites. I was interested with the thought when secrets of a human being are at stake, what happens. Quite like how a man is caught in a similar situation in Idolle Ramayana. I am so glad that all the actors including the national award-winning personalities have agreed to work in my film,” he smiles.

Talking about the farmers’ plight and the ongoing agitation over the sharing of river water, the actor says, “I am a farmer in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. I, honestly feel that it is the real farmers who can sit and solve the problem. There are more serious issues other than water for the farmers, they also need to be addressed. Instead of fighting it out on the streets, it is in the best interest, to let farmers’ decide on the matter.”

The actor is a great lover of food, and only a lucky few get invited to his farm house to taste his delicious cooking. Before signing off, Prakash says that there are many other reason why he changed from Rai to Raj. He decided to disown himself from belonging to a particular star or a region, strongly believing in great Kuvempu’s Vishwa Manava Sandesha; The message of universal brotherhood.