Prakash Raj says he has done ‘stupid’ movies for ‘money’: ‘My intellect asks why are you doing this nonsense?’

In a new interview, Prakash Raj opened up about facing rejection. He said that rejection has never got to him.

New Delhi | December 15, 2023 07:52 PM IST

3 min read

Prakash Raj says he has done some roles in films for money. (Photo: Prakash Raj/Instagram)

Actor Prakash Raj, a man of many talents, has spent over four decades in the Indian film industry. He has acted in all four South Indian languages as well as in Hindi. He aces his roles in parallel cinema as well as commercial cinema. But, like any actor, he too has been rejected for roles, but the only difference is the rejection has never got to him. In his words, the actor has lived his life on his terms, personally and professionally.

In a new interview, Prakash opened up about facing rejection. He told Film Companion, “Rejection has never affected me. I have seen the politics behind the rejection also. I understand them and I have empathy towards them because that is how they could survive. Probably, I have chiselled myself in a different way. Be comfortable with yourself first, then think about the world being comfortable with you.”

Prakash Raj understands the value of commercial cinema too and doesn’t let his ‘intellect’ interfere with his choices of commercial roles.

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The Iruvar actor shared, “I do some stupid movies only for money too. They ask me, ‘Why are you so loud?’ I say, ‘If I can overact, I can act too na.’ I don’t hate commercial films because there is an audience (for them), there are makers, and there is an equal amount of hard work that goes into them. Then, there they need me as a villain.”

But his intellect questions his choices. “My intellect says, ‘Prakash, why are you doing this nonsense?’ I say, ‘I need some money, I will do that.’ Sometimes somebody also says, ‘Why are you doing that film for free?’ My payment is tangible or non-tangible, is a decision I will take. You are not able to see the reward that I am getting by doing a film for free, you are only measuring it with money and I don’t do that. I have always lived life on my terms.”

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On the work front, Prakash Raj has Guntur Kaaram, Devara and Pushpa 2: The Rule in the pipeline.

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