Winning wicket?

Prakash Raj is excited about his first directorial attempt in Tamil, Dhoni, which releases this week

February 04, 2012 05:50 pm | Updated November 13, 2021 10:10 am IST

The avatar may be new, but Prakash Raj has been romancing the technical areas of filmmaking for nearly two decades now. The actor-producer turns director in Tamil with Dhoni , whose release is round the corner. Was he testing the waters, when he decided to debut as helmsman with a remake of Radha Mohan's Abhiyum Naanum , in Kannada some two years ago? “Not at all, it's just that I felt like telling the story in my mother tongue,” says Prakash. Confidence is the man's middle name and most of his endeavours have made a mark. Naanu Nanna Kanasu had a 132-day run. A morale booster for the first-time director! “Sure,” he guffaws, and on a more serious note begins to dwell on Dhoni , “I've been a spectator to the tension my daughter went through before her final exams. It raised innumerable questions in me. Pressured into proving yourself in academics every time can be traumatic for a kid.”

And when he saw his nephew caught in a similar predicament, the pity this time was for his sister, who was compelled to make her son prove his potential. “It's not just the children, the anxiety of the parents, and the teachers who have to make their children toppers and keep the flag of the school always flying high, can be equally harrowing. Success gauged only by the marks secured cannot be deemed healthy. A child could be good at so many other things. Why is the system not designed to find out his aptitude and encourage him to realise his goal? Dhoni points out the loopholes and questions the inanity of it all,” Prakash speaks in one breath.

Even as these thoughts took root in his mind, Mahesh Manjrekar's Marathi film, Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho , on the disconcerting syndrome made him plunge headlong into the project. “The premise impressed me,” he says. So is Dhoni a metaphor for a boy who loves cricket? “It's the story of a middle class family, where aims and aspirations can be stifling,” is the cryptic reply.

Much analysis has gone into the making of Dhoni . And having Gnanavel script it seems a wise move, because he's a writer who has been closely associated with actor Suriya's Agaram Foundation that primarily serves the cause of education. “Yes, he knows the various streams schools follow and has interacted with students in the remotest of places,” avers the director. Once Prakash zeroed in on the story, close buddy and reputed filmmaker, Radha Mohan, and Gnanavel served as bouncing boards, and the narration was finalised.

“We shot for 40 days and the end-product is satisfying,” smiles Prakash Raj. When it came to the music of Dhoni , the director couldn't think past Ilaiyaraja. “I was returning after the Singham shoot and he was coming back after composing music for a Marathi film. We happened to be on board the same flight from Mumbai to Chennai, when I told him the story of Dhoni .” His reaction? “He was impressed. And after the RR I realised that my contribution was just 20 per cent. Ilaiyaraja's scintillating score and the meaningful silences have taken care of the rest. I have an ear for music, and there I was sitting with him through the entire recording, mesmerised,” Prakash pauses, as if reliving the moments.

What did the maestro have to say after watching the film? “‘You've wasted your time. Why has a capable director been hiding behind the façade of actor all these years,' he asked. I've been on cloud nine ever since,” chuckles Prakash.

Radhika Apte of the Marathi stage and screen, an actor who made her presence felt in the two Rakthacharitra s and more recently, in Shor in the City , enters Tamil tinseldom with Dhoni . “Radhika plays a major role. She's worked hard,” he says.

Puri Jagannadh is a name to reckon with in Telugu, and Prakash has known Puri's son Aakash from the time he was a baby. “The 13-year-old came to my mind when I began casting. Puri agreed, and I briefed Aakash about Dhoni . ‘It's more like my story. I want to act but mom isn't for it,' he said.” And with Murali Sharma from Mumbai and our own list of veterans, including Prakash himself and Nasser, Dhoni 's ensemble cast sounds interesting.

A linguist, Prakash is a busy actor in several languages, and as a producer, he has his hands full. So why does he have to take on the added onus of direction? “As I said about Naanu Nanna Kanasu , I felt the urge to tell the story of Dhoni . And as far as hectic schedules go, I've always maintained that the busiest man is one who still has some time left at the end of the day,” he chortles in typical style.

Any trepidation about the challenges of wielding the megaphone? “I've worked as an assistant to directors in the league of Girish Karnad, Kasaravalli and Shankar Nag,” he says. His tryst with Kannada Theatre has also helped him hone his skills. “As of now, I'm eagerly looking forward to a meaningful journey as a director too. In Tamil, I've opened my account with Dhoni ,” smiles Prakash.

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