Prabhu Deva and his Villu

He started out as a dance master but became a much sought-after choreographer. Nick named ‘Michael Jackson,’ he re-invented himself, first as a hero and then, as film director. Prabhu Deva has to his account three movies in Telugu and one in Tamil. ‘Villu,’ his latest, will hit the silver screen on January 12. The ace dancer-choreographer talks about the films and his work. Excerpts from the interview:

Are you an easy-going person? If not, then how do you cope with the tensions of being a director?
I am short-tempered at times but on the whole I am a happy-go- lucky person who normally does not show his anger. People have said that after I became the director, my anger slowly disappeared. Now I tell my cast and crew not to get tensed up during shooting.

Your ‘Pokkiri’ was a remake. What about ‘Villu’?
‘Villu’ is not a remake. It will be like a MGR film. It has positive energy, electrifying performances and all the ingredients such as songs, fights, sentiment coupled with beautiful visuals. And this recipe, when served up, will prove to be heady. ‘Pokkiri’ was a raw film. But ‘Villu’ has style. I think it will probably be one of Vijay’s best films.

Does Vijay have a double role in it?
That is a secret. Let people find out by watching the film.
The storyline of a recent film revolved round the father-son relationship and the same theme is repeated in a forthcoming movie. In both, the heroes play double roles. Does Villu have a similar subject?
Let the audience find out for themselves. But I guarantee one thing. The cinema-goers will love it and will want to watch the film repeatedly.

What are ‘Villu’s’ highlights ?
Vijay’s performance is one. The audience will like him. Next is Nayanthara, who not only tackles the heroine’s role but comic scenes too. She is able to match the humorous skills of one of the best comedians – Vadivelu – in making the audience laugh. A great effort from her. Then there are a couple of action sequences, which are new to the Tamil screen. These segments will be a la James Bond movies. Devi Sri Prasath has done a wonderful job with the songs and the re-recording.

What is the significance of the title?
The hero has an aim and he tries to fulfil it. But ‘Villu’ also has layers of meaning. You will realize that when you watch it. Personally speaking, I like the name and it also suits the plot. In Tamil there is a saying, ‘Villukku Vijayan,’ and in ‘Villu’ it is ‘Villukku Vijay.’

At this stage, you are five films old (including ‘Villu’). How do you rate yourself as a director?
I have also done the Hindi version of ‘Pokkiri’ with Salman Khan. The shooting is over and it is in the post-production stage. However, I am unable to rate myself. I direct a film to the best of my ability – nothing more, nothing less. Let the audiences judge my work.
In fact, I’m yet to get used to the idea of being referred to as director.

Ever since you turned director, you have not acted for quite some time. But now one hears that you will be acting again in a film soon?
Yes. The film will be directed by Thankar Bachan and produced by Ayngaran Films Karunamurthy. After completing ‘Villu,’ I wanted to take a break from film making for a few months and take up acting again. That option is still open, I have not given it up totally.

Of your various avatars such as dance choreographer, actor, director and now lyric writer (‘Villu’), which creative role do you prefer the most?
Dance choreography is what I like the most. Lyric writing was an accident. I made up a few lines and my assistants added a few lines. Then they wanted someone’s name as the lyric writer and asked me whether they could use my name, to which I reluctantly agreed. But I want to stress the fact that I do not wish to intrude into or interfere in other departments in this field, whether now or later.