Success does change people, but Prabhu Deva is different. Despite 100-crore films such as Rowdy Rathore and Wanted to his credit, he remains his easygoing self. He even looks the same though he’s been in the limelight for two decades. “Dancing is what keeps me fit,” says Prabhu Deva.
The man on the move is currently helming Ramaiya Vastavaiya , a film produced by Kumar Taurani of Tips to launch his son Girish. “Girish is new and trusts me completely. He did Bollywood dancing for about eight months. If the film becomes a hit, I am ready for the fathers of other aspiring actors to approach me ( laughs ).”
Anyway with so many hits behind him, many producers have been approaching him. “When I start a film, I can complete it only when I am happy with the end product. And yes, I am satisfied with Ramaiya Vastavaiya .”
Comparing his current film with his previous outings that starred two superstars, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, Prabhu says, “Whether it is a launch film of an actor or a highly anticipated one featuring big names, the director invariably spends sleepless nights.” However, he admits, “This time the responsibility is more but I am very happy. The script befits Girish’s strengths.”
After giving two action hits, Prabhu has ventured into the romantic genre with this film. It is a young love story, co-starring Shruti Haasan. But Prabhu is unfazed about the transition. He recalls, “When I was doing Wanted , people were skeptical about a choreographer pulling off an action film.” With an endearing honesty, he admits, “Even I was surprised with the success of my two action films.” Prabhu reveals a lesser known facet of his personality — he is a romantic at heart. But he maintains, “Everyone’s a romantic and so am I. A choreographer has to deal with romance in songs. Whatever film I do, romance will be a constant.”
The title of the film may seem inspired from the Raj Kapoor hit song from Shree 420 , but the director says the title suits the story. “I had 20 titles in mind. One day I suggested Ramaiya Vastavaiya because Girish’s character is called Ram. As for the title of my earlier films, Wanted was given by Boney Kapoor while Rowdy Rathore was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s idea.”
Ramaiya Vastavaiya is said to bear an uncanny resemblance to Maine Pyar Kiya . “Every film is compared to some other film. When I did Rowdy Rathore , it was compared to Dabangg, ” defends Prabhu. And when asked about the disorganised ways of Bollywood, he points out, “In Bollywood, films are announced along with their release dates, where is the room for any delay? Even Girish would report at 7.30 for a 9 a.m. schedule.” Did his Wanted star Salman Khan do the same? “Why does everybody talk about Salman? In the last two years, he has given 4-5 hits. And also if he comes late, he compensates.”
Prabhu is also directing Rambo Rajkumar (starring Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha) and an untitled film with Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha and Yaami Gautam. And his next film with Salman starts in November.
And though he had a recent success as an actor-dancer with Anybody Can Dance , he rules out the possibility of making a dance-based film “I am not planning any such film. All producers want me to do action films,” he chuckles.
Bollywood News Service
