Dismissed for not being hero material and mocked for his looks, this ‘relatable star’ has delivered hattrick of Rs 100 cr films

During the pre-release promotions of his latest hit Dude in Hyderabad, Pradeep Ranganathan was faced with an insensitive question. A reporter asked, “You don’t look like hero material, yet you’ve found success and a fan following in films. Would you attribute it to luck or hard work?” The remark drew widespread attention, especially for the poised and timely reaction from Pradeep’s co-star and industry veteran Sarath Kumar, who immediately stepped in to defend him. The director-turned-actor, however, chose not to take offense. Instead, he responded calmly, reflecting on the factors he believes have contributed to his remarkable success in the industry.

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Pradeep, in his trademark soft-spoken tone, responded, “Hard work is definitely there. Over the past few months, I’ve been reflecting on the love and support I’ve received. There are many talented people out there like me — I’ve seen it. I think people connect with me because they see a part of themselves in me. When they watch the screen, they feel like they are the hero — they’re the ones acting, fighting, and romancing. And because they see themselves in me, I have already become a hero in their eyes.”

It has been quite a journey for this self-taught filmmaker, from making short films on campus, to hiding his career pursuits from his father until his debut film, to defying conventional notions of what an onscreen hero should look like.

At every event where he’s been honored, Pradeep Ranganathan has consistently emphasized the importance of self-belief. In his thank-you speech for Love Today, Pradeep noted, “I want to thank the guy who invested in my short films. It’s me only! Thanks to Pradeep, who used to work in the IT field, and his belief in himself. So what I have learned is that at each stage of your life, someone has to trust you, but most importantly, we must only trust ourselves. Only then will others trust us.”

An older video from the success meet of his debut film as a lead, Love Today — which he also directed — went viral for all the right reasons. In the clip, a cheerful Pradeep Ranganathan is seen responding to an unfair remark from the audience. When the anchor asked him how he was feeling, Pradeep pointed to himself and asked playfully, “How do I look to you?” A section of the crowd shouted back, “Very bad.” Rather than ignoring the comment, Pradeep seized the moment to address it head-on, confidently asserting, “Thanks for saying that. I have been hearing this comment that I look bad from a very small age. So it’s nothing new to me. What’s new to me is the fact that I am standing here on this stage right now.”

The Love Today star has been candid in interviews about his difficult beginnings in the industry and the unfair rejections he faced from producers who refused to even hear his narrations early on. In a conversation with Anupama Chopra, the actor opened up about experiencing rejection right from the start of his career: “There have been script readings after Comali, my first film, where they straight away rejected my script even without listening to it for at least 10 minutes. My director of Dragon, Ashwin Marimuthu, used to accompany me to pitch his stories too. All these rejections also teach us things in their own way over the years.”

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Pradeep Ranganathan’s rise as a leading man has been nothing short of remarkable, a success story fuelled by his relatability and the current void of bankable young stars in Tamil cinema. With the blockbuster success of Dude, Pradeep has firmly established himself as a prominent name in contemporary Tamil cinema. Audiences and critics alike now wait in anticipation to see what he has in store next with his newfound stardom.