Prakash Varma Interview: I'll pursue roles that scare or challenge me
Known for masterminding iconic campaigns like the You and I, in this Beautiful World for Hutch and the legendary ZooZoo for Vodafone, ad guru Prakash Varma stunned audiences with his maiden acting gig in the recently released film Thudarum—and what an entry it turned out to be! Playing one of the most detestable antagonists in recent Malayalam cinema, Prakash's portrayal of George Mathan, a seemingly friendly senior police officer with a hidden sinister side, in this emotionally charged thriller sent chills down spines.
Right from the first show of Thudarum, people wanted to know more about this actor. While he enjoyed donning the cloak of anonymity despite his towering stature as an ad filmmaker, Thudarum has changed that status quo. His face is everywhere, and with good reason.
As the Mohanlal-starrer continues to run to packed houses, we caught up with him to chat about his leap into acting, the art of storytelling, working alongside his childhood inspirations, and more.
Excerpts:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
ZEE5 aims to slash operating losses by up to 60% in FY26
Mumbai: ZEE5 , the streaming platform owned by Zee Entertainment , aims to reduce its operating losses by 50-60% in FY26, president of digital businesses and platforms Amit Goenka said. The OTT industry has shifted its focus to achieving profitability after years of heavy investments in subscriber acquisition, which had taken a toll on their P&L. In FY25, ZEE5 reduced its Ebitda loss to ₹548 crore from ₹1,105 crore in the previous year. The company has been aggressively cutting costs to achieve its goal of an 18-20% Ebitda margin in FY26. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo "This year, we are striving to reduce our Ebitda losses by more than 50-60% compared to last year. ZEE5 is the only division in Zee Entertainment that is not yet profitable, and we are looking to make it Ebitda-positive," he said. According to Goenka, producing content at a competitive price has been Zee's strength, and the company wants to maintain the cost advantages it has built over the years. Live Events ZEE5's focus on investing more in the story than in the star cast has helped it reduce costs-unlike other major streamers who spend huge amounts of money on star-driven shows, he noted. "We will control our costs and at the same time deliver quality content to audiences," he said. ZEE5 is planning to launch 100 content titles in FY26, with a focus on language-based offerings in markets like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali. In FY25, the platform launched 60 pieces of content across movies and originals. Goenka also downplayed concerns that stringent cost controls would impact revenue growth, even as the platform competes with giants like Netflix, Prime Video and JioHotstar. ZEE5's revenue grew by 6% in FY25 to ₹976 crore. "Controlling costs can still help you grow users and offer a great content experience because how you tell the story is more important than the face behind it," he said. While ZEE5 has a hybrid subscription and ad-led model, Goenka sees a lot of potential in the subscription model and intends to partner with telcos, broadband players and other distribution platforms to reach new audiences in tier-2 and -3 cities. The platform also aims to double down on technology to improve user experience and experiment with emerging genres like short-form vertical video.
Pink Villa
4 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Premalu 2: Is Naslen and Mamitha Baiju starrer's sequel delayed? Producer responds
Premalu starring Naslen and Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles, hit the big screens in 2024 and was a massive hit. With the sequel already announced earlier, it seems fans will have to wait some more time. In a recent interview with The Cue, the film's co-producer and popular actor-director Dileesh Pothan revealed that the sequel is delayed as of now. While the film is halted at the moment, it is unclear when they will begin work on it. Additionally, the Joji director highlighted that Girish AD, Premalu helmer, would soon start work on another project under their production house. For those unaware, Premalu is a Malayalam-language romantic comedy featuring the tale of Sachin, a miserable graduate from Kerala who has nothing going for him in his life. In hopes of finding something better, Sachin decides to move out of India but fails to get a visa in time. Hoping for a change, he, along with his friend, moves to Hyderabad where their paths cross with Reenu, a new joinee at an IT firm. How their relationship develops and whether they fall in love with each other form the story, with interesting and humorous characters appearing in it. With Naslen and Mamitha in leading roles, the film has actors like Sangeeth Prathap, Akhila Bhargavan, Shyam Mohan, Meenakshi Raveendran, Mathew Thomas, and many more in key roles. As the movie was a major blockbuster in theaters with critical acclaim, the makers announced a sequel to be in the making, titled Premalu 2. While the film was touted to be made on a grander scale, it seems the second installment would require some more time. Coming to Naslen 's work front, the actor was last seen in the Khalid Rahman directorial Alappuzha Gymkhana. The sports film is slated to begin streaming on SonyLIV from June 13, 2025. Moving ahead, the young actor will be appearing in the movie Lokah - Chapter One: Chandra, co-starring with Kalyani Priyadarshan. The upcoming cinematic universe from Malayalam is bankrolled by Dulquer Salmaan, who is rumored to have a cameo appearance alongside Tovino Thomas. On the other hand, Mamitha Baiju is currently involved in various films, including Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan, Dude with Pradeep Ranganathan, and Suriya 46.
India.com
5 hours ago
- India.com
This actress became star at 16, did 40 films, worked with Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Vijay, suffered paralysis, died by suicide after failed love affair with…; She was…
No matter how big someone becomes, life isn't always kind, and the life of an actress is a prime example. These actresses who dazzle on screen often face darkness in their personal lives. One such case is that of Tamil actress Viji, whose tragic step after a betrayal in love shook the entire film industry. Viji, known for the film Kozhi Koovuthu, made her debut alongside Prabhu and Silk Smitha in the movie directed by Gangai Amaran. She also paired with Saresh in the song Edho Moham Edho Dhagam , which became a superhit. Following this, she went on to work with top stars like Prabhu, Rajinikanth, and Mohanlal in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. After working in more than 40 films, the heroine roles reduced, so she started doing character roles. After this, she also worked on songs. For example, she danced with Prabhu Deva in the song 'Lalakku Dol Dappi Ma' in Sarathkumar's film 'Suriyan' and with Murali in the song ' Machinichi Vara Neram ' in Vijay's film 'Poove Unakkaga'. During the shooting of this song, Viji experienced back pain and encountered complications during treatment. A mistake during her back surgery left her hands and legs paralysed, confining her to a wheelchair. Although she later won a case against the hospital and her condition improved after multiple operations, film offers stopped coming her way. Moved by her situation, Vijayakanth gave her a role in Simmasanam, which turned out to be her last film. Viji's film career began at the age of 16, and her life came to a tragic end at just 34. According to a report by Tamil News 18, Viji committed suicide in her Chennai home in 2000. The news shook the Tamil film industry. Everyone thought that the cause of his death was his health, but the things written in his suicide note revealed the real reason. Her suicide note blamed a failed love affair with director A R Ramesh, who was already married. The report suggested Ramesh promised to marry her but declined later, and that three days before her death, Ramesh met Viji at a function and abused her. Viji had also left evidence of accepting the director's love in her death note. Due to this, the police arrested the director and his wife and filed a case. However, after a few years, they were acquitted. Also, in her last note, she had requested the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi not to conduct post-mortem on her body after her death.
