Prabhudheva is an extraordinary achiever in Indian cinema. With an illustrious career of three decades, the silent one has established himself as a multifaceted talent–dancer, actor, filmmaker, and choreographer. His enigmatic dance moves and silent acting has earned him accolades from his fans and peers alike. His performance in ‘Thael’ was very intense and had no dialogues. To make up for the lack of words, Prabhudheva used the language of a dancer’s body to effectively express Durai, a character with nothing to lose. ‘Mercury’ was India’s first silent movie in a long time, and Prabhu filled it with his anguishing shrieks and the body of his character.
Behind the superstar is a humble person. He barely talks, never discusses himself and is generous to others of his calibre. When he was awarded the Padma Shri he said there were many people more talented than him who should be honoured. His biggest setback–the passing of his elder son–changed his perspective on life and destroyed his marriage.
One of his idols is Rajinikanth and Prabhu loves massy movies as much as streetwise dance moves. He champions the use of silence in reel and real life, citing the examples of Guru Dutt’s ‘Pyaasa’ and Gulzar’s ‘Namkeen’. He befits his knowledge by turning off the radio-style dialogue in ‘Mercury’, expressing emotions through his excellent choreographic and acting chops.
Salman Khan has also worked with Prabhudheva, who spoke quite highly of the superstar. He regards him as one of the kindest people in the business and recalls the dialogue ‘Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, phir main apne aap ki bhi nahin sunta’ from ‘Wanted’. But now Prabhudheva has moved on from Bollywood and is looking to conquer more peaks.
Times of India has hailed Prabhudheva as a silent achiever in Indian cinema. His versatile career as a choreographer, dancer, filmmaker and actor stands testimony to his greatness and his voice far louder than mere words.
