For a while, we felt we would never see Prabhu Deva dance like he did in the 90s. After that, we began to see him in cameos, which revealed he’s still got it. Then Remo D’Souza’s ABCD brought us closer to the Prabhu Deva we knew. Given his credentials as a successful director-choreographer, one would expect him to make a dance film like ABCD . However, Prabhu says, “If I could put in 100 per cent effort to make a film, then a dance film would require that I put in 200 per cent. Making a regular film is much easier. I find this especially true after seeing Remo work in both films… I can’t work that hard.”
The sets of ABCD were a confluence of the country’s best dancers. Did life on the sets take him back to his dancing days? “When I went to the sets of ABCD , I felt younger,” admits Prabhu. “Surrounded by so many young dancers, I too became a dancer again. They astounded me every time I watched them. I realised there were so many new moves I didn’t have the slightest idea about and learnt so much from them. I should say I struggled to keep up with them.”
Prabhu confesses that his role in the film is restricted to that of an actor, where he would just “go to the sets, act, dance and come back home”. He says he didn’t suggest changes in either dance or direction.
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Prabhu, who reprises the role of Vishnu sir from the first film, says it is only the name that has remained the same. “My role is more complex this time, even a bit negative. I strongly believe the first film worked so well because of the strong emotional content. This film too has a strong emotional core and I am sure it will connect well with the audience.”
Prabhu has lost a lot of weight for his role. “I danced so much on the sets that I ended up losing weight. I get a lot of free time between films, but I don’t know why I hardly dance. It’s these films that get me back to dancing.”
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