Prakash Raj is back after a break from acting, playing the lead role in 60 Vayadhu Maaniram. The film tells the story of a man suffering from Alzheimer’s who goes missing and his son’s quest to find him. Speaking at a promotional event for the film, Prakash said, “I heard the story a few years back, in Kannada, and immediately felt that it needed to be told. I bought the remake rights even before the Sandalwood film Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu was released. Then, my good friends — dialogue writer Viji, and director Radha Mohan — stepped in. And Radha Mohan saw the script from a different perspective.”
The multi-talented personality said that he initially wanted to make the film under his own banner. “I am passionate about making good, content-oriented films. But what I lack is the knowledge of how to promote a film and reach it to a wide audience. So, when marketing guru Thanu expressed an interest in producing 60 Vayaudhu, I was glad. He has done a great job,” he said.
Talking about his experience working with Ilaiyaraaja, he said, “Raaja sir kept asking when I would do the dubbing, as he was ready to start re-recording. I told him that I had too many films lined up for dubbing and he asked me to send him a track, saying that he would manage with it. He did the re-recording without me ever dubbing, using the dummy track that Radha Mohan made and sent him. Raaja sir was so captivated by the film that he once called me from Tiruvannamalai and gave me advice on pronouncing a particular dialogue in a specific husky tone. I owe a lot to him.”
In the film, actor Vikram Prabhu plays Prakash’s son. Recalling his experience working with Vikram’s father, Prabhu, with whom he started his career in Duet, Prakash said, “I was a newcomer, and I got a monthly salary for that film. Prabhu sir would bring food from home and he would always share it with me. Now, his son Vikram Prabhu is sharing screen space with me. He is a fine actor who uses real-life experiences to add depth to the roles that he performs.”
