It came as a surprise to Prabhu's parents, Murukan and Padma, to see their son on-screen alongside Thalapathy Vijay in the blockbuster movie 'Leo.' Though he had just a single scene and no dialogue, it was the climax, and he shared the screen with his idol Thalapathy and Action King Arjun Sarja.
"Apart from a couple of my friends, I kept this a secret. I even hid being part of the film from my brother Prakash. He knows how devastated I was after failing to be a part of 'Master,'" Prabhu said.
In 'Leo,' Prabhu portrayed a gang member and was credited for the role under 'Arjun Gang.' Being a devoted fan of Vijay, it wasn't an easy role for him, as he had to fight against Thalapathy in the climax. Besides acting, he was part of the casting team of the movie. Many of the actors he handpicked received prominent roles in the film.
From Kalluthankadavu Colony to the silver screen
To become a superstar like Thalapathy was Prabhu's dream from childhood. He was born and raised in the Kalluthankadavu Colony in the heart of Kozhikode city. His family was one of the 141 families relocated to an apartment nearby by the corporation. Becoming an actor was his lifelong aspiration, so after completing higher secondary, he left for Chennai.
"Other than a few junior artist roles, not much materialized. Some frauds took advantage of my passion for acting and swindled money from me by offering roles in movies," he explained. "Surviving as a junior artist is tough. The meagre remuneration hardly covers travel and accommodation expenses."
So, Prabhu returned to Kerala. It was during this time that he received a call from the 'Master' team, only to be rejected at the last moment. Despite his initial disappointment, he persisted in visiting the shooting location regularly. During one of these visits, he met the junior artist coordinator, Ganesh, who advised him to join the casting team. Ganesh also provided him with an opportunity to join the casting team of 'Leo.'
"I consider myself fortunate to work in the casting team of a director like Lokesh Kanagaraj. I never imagined I would work for a renowned director like him, especially in a Vijay film," said Prabhu, who is also a district committee member of the Vijay Fans Association in Kozhikode.
"I assisted Yousuf in the casting team. Despite being in the casting team, we went through the audition process and secured a spot in the movie," Prabhu explained.
A slow but steady start
In addition to 'Leo,' Prabhu has also worked in the casting team for Dhanush's 'Captain Miller' and the Malayalam movie 'Happy New Year.' He assisted and acted in Tamil film 'Roy'. He also played small roles in films like 'Ali' and 'Sundar'. Currently, he has three more Malayalam movies in the pipeline.
"I create reels with acting shots. This helps me secure roles. I've also acted in a few short films and advertisements."
With an ITI diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Prabhu works for a private telecom company. His father, Murugan, is a cook at a restaurant, and his mother, Padma, is a member of Haritha Karma Sena, which collects non-degradable waste from households. His younger brother, Prakash, works as a driver.
