Studio Talk: Prakash Raj is the ‘real life’ villain!

A row over a moustache is all set to split the Tollywood into two halves. ‘Reel life’ villain, national award winner Prakash Raj is the ‘real life’ villain this time.

The issue that has put the Telugu Film Producers Council and the Movie Artistes Association(MAA) at loggerheads is rather a silly concern —Prakash Raj is refusing to remove his moustache for a Telugu movie he had acted in!

The actor had signed for a Telugu movie ‘Siddu,’ produced by Jyothi Prasad. And in 2003, the producer filed a complaint with the A P Film Producers Council against Prakash Raj that the actor was not giving dates to complete the shooting of the film. The council referred the matter to MAA, which in turn asked Prakash Raj to report for the shooting. He did report at the sets, but refused to shave off his moustache, which is very much needed to finish off the rest of the movie.

Subsequently, the producers council once again took up the issue, but Prakash Raj this time chose not to respond to its letters. The producers’ council has now written to all its members that if anyone signs up Prakash Raj for their films, then ‘they will be doing it at their own risks.’

“We expect the Movie Artistes Association to impose a ban on Prakash Raj,” producers council president C Kalyan told media.

MAA, however, is in a ‘play it safe’ mode. “MAA office-bearers’ election is scheduled to be held in October. So it will not be appropriate for an out going body to take a decision on such matters. It will be left to the next committee,” MAA secretary Mallikarjun Rao said. The current president of MAA is Mohan Babu, who actually maintains a good relation with Prakash Raj.

It is not the first time that Prakash Raj gets embroiled in a controversy. Five years ago when actor Nagarjuna was the president of MAA, the actor had been banned from Tollywood for a period of six months for not settling an issue.

When MAA imposed the ban, Prakash Raj fasted in front of the A P Film Chamber of Commerce office at Filmnagar. But then, the anti-Nagarjuna faction came out openly in support of Prakash Raj. Again, when the junior artistes in the film industry grouped against Prakash Raj a few years ago, an angry Raj had even beaten up one of them. Later he defended his action saying that the junior artiste had misbehaved to a heroine.

His feud with hero Pavan Kalyan had cost him a role in Gudamba Shankar even though he had shot for a major part of the film. Prakash Raj had been a strong presence in blockbusters like Okkadu, Athadu, and Varsham. He has also essayed roles in certain Hindi films, Khakhee and Shakti - the power. This Kannadiga is a much sought after actor in Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam film industries too.