Wednesday, Nov 27, 2013 | Last Update : 12:08 PM IST
Prithviraj going north in his career
Prithviraj and Rani Mukherjee in a still from 'Aiyya'
Not
many are given a second chance in Bollywood. His debut as a hero
opposite Rani Mukherjee in 'Aiyya' turned out to be a damp squib at the
box-office. But Prithviraj has been lucky to bag another film, this time
in a Yash Raj film — albeit as a second lead.
“You must watch the film before jumping to conclusions about my role in the film. In terms of numbers, the response has been great. The quality of films too has been attractive enough! I had signed Yash Raj Films, 'Aurangzeb' even before my debut film, 'Aiyya' was released,” says Prithvi.
“Unquestionably, offers are pouring in but I have to pick and choose the right ones.” Having a vast range of films under his belt, he adds, “I am eighty films old down South and have done a gamut of roles as an actor. I have played a variety of characters. I prefer a noteworthy part in a good film, than playing pivotal part in a bad film.”
Inadvertently, it was Rani who turned instrumental in getting Prithvi a role in 'Aurangzeb'. “While shooting the Aga Bai number for 'Aiyaa' at Yash Raj Studios, Shanu Jharna, the casting director, had dropped in to meet Rani. She came up to me and started talking. During our chat, she asked me if I would be interested in doing a film with YRF. She called me up exactly after two weeks and asked me to audition. I went for an audition for the first time, in almost 12 years of my film career!” says Prithvi, adding, “We had many rounds of auditions with Atul Shabharwal and ten days later, I got a call that I was selected for the role. Aditya Chopra gave me a bound script and an unlimited supply of coffee. I read the script twice before accepting it.”
He plays a cop for the 17th time in this film. “I play Arya Forgart, who believes in what he does but doesn’t trust people blindly,” explains Prithvi.
“The script is not a copy of 'Don' or 'Trishul'. It takes you back to the works of Mani Ratnam classics like 'Agni Nakshatram' and Kamal Haasan’s 'Thevar Magan'. I had comprehensive discussions with Atul and found out that he is a great fan of south films. But this film is no remake of any South films.”
Prithviraj is yet another South actor who plans to settle in Mumbai for good, “House hunting, in Mumbai is a herculean task. Agents are showing me homes way beyond my budget — in the range of 30 crore!”
Talking about the supportive role of his wife he says, “She is not at all insecure. In fact, she is the one who always believed that I belong to a bigger league.”
He may be a South Indian but he has unexpected challenges in 'Aurangzeb'. “The challenge in 'Aurangzeb' is not about playing a cop, but Tamilian cop. I don’t know Tamil as much as I know Hindi. I can read and write Hindi but not Tamil. Here I am, a Malayali playing a Tamilian in a Hindi film!”
Prithvi is hoping Bollywood and the audience notice him as an actor, “I don’t know how it works here. I have worked as an actor, not as a saleable star. My first endeavour is to make people notice the kind of actor I am.”
He is politically correct when he talks about the Khans - Salman, Shahrukh and Aamir. “All three Khans are famous down South too. I would love to work with all of them. Even in Kerala we plan our films according to their release!”
Steady Rise
1] Prithviraj is eighty films old in the South and has done a gamut of roles, most of them being pivotal and memorable ones
2] The actor had to audition for the first time in almost 12 years of his film career for the movie Aurangzeb
3] Prithviraj plans to settle down in Mumbai for good and is, in his owns words, undergoing the ‘herculean task’ of house hunting in the price range of 15 to 20 crore
“You must watch the film before jumping to conclusions about my role in the film. In terms of numbers, the response has been great. The quality of films too has been attractive enough! I had signed Yash Raj Films, 'Aurangzeb' even before my debut film, 'Aiyya' was released,” says Prithvi.
“Unquestionably, offers are pouring in but I have to pick and choose the right ones.” Having a vast range of films under his belt, he adds, “I am eighty films old down South and have done a gamut of roles as an actor. I have played a variety of characters. I prefer a noteworthy part in a good film, than playing pivotal part in a bad film.”
Inadvertently, it was Rani who turned instrumental in getting Prithvi a role in 'Aurangzeb'. “While shooting the Aga Bai number for 'Aiyaa' at Yash Raj Studios, Shanu Jharna, the casting director, had dropped in to meet Rani. She came up to me and started talking. During our chat, she asked me if I would be interested in doing a film with YRF. She called me up exactly after two weeks and asked me to audition. I went for an audition for the first time, in almost 12 years of my film career!” says Prithvi, adding, “We had many rounds of auditions with Atul Shabharwal and ten days later, I got a call that I was selected for the role. Aditya Chopra gave me a bound script and an unlimited supply of coffee. I read the script twice before accepting it.”
He plays a cop for the 17th time in this film. “I play Arya Forgart, who believes in what he does but doesn’t trust people blindly,” explains Prithvi.
“The script is not a copy of 'Don' or 'Trishul'. It takes you back to the works of Mani Ratnam classics like 'Agni Nakshatram' and Kamal Haasan’s 'Thevar Magan'. I had comprehensive discussions with Atul and found out that he is a great fan of south films. But this film is no remake of any South films.”
Prithviraj is yet another South actor who plans to settle in Mumbai for good, “House hunting, in Mumbai is a herculean task. Agents are showing me homes way beyond my budget — in the range of 30 crore!”
Talking about the supportive role of his wife he says, “She is not at all insecure. In fact, she is the one who always believed that I belong to a bigger league.”
He may be a South Indian but he has unexpected challenges in 'Aurangzeb'. “The challenge in 'Aurangzeb' is not about playing a cop, but Tamilian cop. I don’t know Tamil as much as I know Hindi. I can read and write Hindi but not Tamil. Here I am, a Malayali playing a Tamilian in a Hindi film!”
Prithvi is hoping Bollywood and the audience notice him as an actor, “I don’t know how it works here. I have worked as an actor, not as a saleable star. My first endeavour is to make people notice the kind of actor I am.”
He is politically correct when he talks about the Khans - Salman, Shahrukh and Aamir. “All three Khans are famous down South too. I would love to work with all of them. Even in Kerala we plan our films according to their release!”
Steady Rise
1] Prithviraj is eighty films old in the South and has done a gamut of roles, most of them being pivotal and memorable ones
2] The actor had to audition for the first time in almost 12 years of his film career for the movie Aurangzeb
3] Prithviraj plans to settle down in Mumbai for good and is, in his owns words, undergoing the ‘herculean task’ of house hunting in the price range of 15 to 20 crore
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