Amazing! 'Lady Prithviraj' in action

Athira Santhosh, a self-confessed Prithviraj fan, hardly imagined she would become the latest social media sensation when she decided to post a few of her dubsmash videos.

The young woman who did the dubsmash versions of Prithviraj’s mass dialogues and superhit scenes, just for fun, has been hailed by the virtual world as the ‘Lady Prithviraj’.

Ardent fan

Athira vows that she has been an ardent fan of Prithviraj ever since the actor made his debut through the 2002 movie 'Nandanam'. She points out that she loves Prithviraj’s performances on screen while admiring his real-life persona. “All the characters that he portray in movies are unique, and he tries to make it even more amazing. In real life, he has strong stands and opinions which he would express fearlessly,” says Athira.

The youngster, who is also a great fan of superstar Mohanlal, however thinks that the dialogues of Prithviraj suit her own personality better.

Athira would do some preparations before filming a dubsmash video. She says that she ties up her hair in a neat bun behind, so that it would appear like a short bob from the front. She would also do her eyebrows to make it look as sharp as Prithviraj’s. However, the netizens are bowled over by Athira’s ability to imitate the unique look in the actor’s eyes. “I usually search for the scenes that suit me. If it is an interview, the actor would be in his own self. So it is a bit difficult to learn his body language then. It indeed takes some effort to do a video,” notes Athira.

Unexpected fame

Athira who completed her graduation from MES College in Kozhikode is all set to join her father in London. She dreams to enroll for an MBA degree at a university there. She says that she does the dubsmash videos as she has lots of free time before she finally take off to London. Though she had done such videos earlier, they were not as popular, as she would just make it her WhatsApp status. But her friends appreciated the videos and began to call her ‘Lady Prithviraj’. Someone even said that she looked like Prithviraj’s sister. Athira and her dubsmash videos gained popularity when she began to post the videos on Facebook. The youngster confesses that she never expected her videos to become such a rage on social media.

Near miss

Though a great fan of the actor, Athira, however, never got the chance to meet Prithviraj in person. Once she had tried to meet Prithviraj while he was shooting at the Kozhikode corporation office for the movie 'Indian Rupee'. But he had already left the place by the time Athira reached there.

She says, “It was a near miss. I hope that I will be able to meet him some time soon. I heard that he would be in Kozhikode soon for some inaugurations. I should go there to meet him.”

Athira says that she is a member of an Instagram fan page called ‘Prithvi Queens’ which is liked by hundreds of viewers. Her videos are a hit on that page as well. It was from a WhatsApp fan group that Athira got Prithvitraj’s phone number. “That was how I made friends with Prithviraj’s driver. He told that the actor sees my videos; however, he added that I shouldn’t expect a reply from him. When 'Ranam' got released I sent a message wishing him luck. I was stunned when he replied ‘Thank you Athira’,” recalls the youngster with excitement.

“Some would say that Prithvi has the airs of a superstar. But those who know him personally or through WhattsApp messages know that it not true. I was convinced when I saw him interfering in certain issues and the way he spoke in a few interviews. Anyways I am an ardent fan of Prithviraj,” Athira makes her stand clear.

Fan clash at home

Athira says that her mother and brother are Mammotty fans, while her grandmother admires Allu Arjun. Though there a few ‘clashes’ between them, when it comes to Prithviraj the whole family is united as her family members too appreciates Prithviraj and his movies.