He’s got the Moves

After Malayalam film stalwarts Mohanlal and Mamootty,Prithviraj is perhaps the next most sought-after actor in the industry. With a plethora of awards and acclaimed films such as Urumi,Vaasthavam and Raavanan to his credit,the actor has balanced commercial ventures with art-house fare. Over the years,he has also made it a point to work in Tamil and Telugu films. The Hindi film industry,however,did not quite take notice of him for a long time. “Although I did want to work here,I didn’t want to do a film just for the heck of it. When Aiyyaa was offered to me,I took it up because of its originality. The fact that it is my Hindi debut is just secondary,” says the 29-year-old.

While shooting for Aiyyaa,he was also called to audition for Yashraj Films’ Atul Sabharwal-directed Aurangzeb. “I hadn’t given an audition my entire life. But when Shanoo Sharma,the casting director,asked me to,I did not hesitate. I am glad I bagged the film because I gave the best audition and not because of who I am,” he states. But the actor is also aware that he will know his real place in the Hindi film industry only after he has been accepted by colleagues and the audience here.

Prithviraj belongs to a family of actors — his father P Sukumaran was a famous Malayalam actor,his mother Mallika Sukumaran is well-known on television and brother Indrajeet is also an actor. But,Prithviraj was least inclined towards acting. It was while pursuing his graduation in IT in Australia that director Ranjith offered him the lead role in Nandanam. “I gave him a deadline to finish the film,” he says.

After acting in his first six films,he realised that cinema was his calling. “I believe it more so now because,even in my 85th film,shooting gives me the same adrenaline rush that I felt in the first one,” he says. The actor is looking at the Hindi film industry as a new beginning. “While I have done well in the Malayalam industry — from action films to love stories — I believe the exposure in the Hindi film industry is greater,” he says.