20 years of Prem:A star ready to experiment

The actor talks to Vivek M V about how he came in from outside the film circuit and became a hero delivering romantic hits

At the start of the new millennium, a bunch of young talents entered Sandalwood with big dreams. Prem was one of them. “I didn’t know how to face the camera. I had no clue how to walk or cry in front of it,” he tells Showtime about his debut flick ‘Praana’ (2004).

‘Nenapirali’ (2005), his second film, changed Prem’s destiny. The romantic drama -- with breath-taking visuals and sensational album from Hamsalekha -- was a runaway hit. The lanky and handsome actor appeared perfect for love stories and became the favourite of the family audience.

After a great start, which included hits such as ‘Jothe Jotheyali’ (2006), and ‘Pallakki’ (2007), Prem’s career stumbled before R Chandru’s ‘Charminar’ resurrected his journey. At 46, he is still blessed with a youthful look, like we saw in his 25th film ‘Premam Poojyam’. In a free-wheeling chat with Showtime, Prem reflects on his 20 years in the industry. Excerpts:

You entered the industry along with other rookies such as Ajay Rao, ‘Duniya’ Vijay, and Ganesh. Did you face stiff competition?

To be honest, we didn’t know what competition meant. All of us were outsiders and our first aim was to survive in the industry. We just wanted to work hard and earn good enough money to look after our respective families.

For example, when ‘Mungaru Male’ released, I had already tasted success with ‘Nenapirali’. ‘Mungaru Male’ opened to a tepid response. One evening, Tharun (Sudhir) and I decided to show our support for our friend Ganesh. The same night, we printed a banner that wished Ganesh, and the next morning, it was up outside Sagar theatre.

Similarly, when Vijay’s first film released, I watched the film in Gandhinagar. People were surprised. But I knew that if heroes watch their contemporaries’ films in theatres, it will motivate people to do the same. Recently, we all met and had great fun.

Tell us about ‘Nenapirali’, ‘Jothe Jotheyali’ and ‘Charminar’, three of the biggest hits of your career.

‘Nenapirali’ was a classy film and I was blessed to work with legends such as Hamsalekha, Anant Nag, and HM Ramachandra (cinematographer). The Darshan family is one of the biggest in the industry and ‘Jothe Jotheyali’ gave me a great commercial cinema experience. ‘Charminar’ is a story close to my heart. Interestingly, the Tamil film ‘96’ dealt with a similar theme and we were happy that we had shown it long back.

At one point, things fell apart in your career…

There are different reasons why we sign a film. We say ‘yes’ to a film because of friendship and sometimes we work in a film for our satisfaction. Despite the ups and downs, I have survived and I owe my longevity to the people of Karnataka.

You started as a lover boy. Weren't you offered scripts with complex characters?

I came to films wanting to be a ‘mass’ hero. When my first few films became successful, the ‘pakkad mane hudga’ (boy next door) tag was attached to me. The industry didn’t look beyond my image. I explored the action genre but unfortunately, those films weren’t handled by quality teams.

Your portrayal of a fearless youngster in ‘Chowka’ was refreshing...

Yes. Tharun was able to give me a mass image. Now, I aim to consciously find interesting roles. The days of waiting for good projects are gone. We have to shape our journey.