JOIN USAfter winning accolades from audiences for his well scripted and powerfully performed role in Murder 2, Prashant Narayanan is away from the arc lights, focusing instead on overseeing the construction of his farmhouse on Manori beach in Mumbai.
“These days, I am working with labour and assisting them in the construction of my house,” says the 40 something actor from Delhi, in response to a query on what he’s doing these days. ‘Uhh... we meant work wise’, Metrolife tries again with a smile. “Ahh. My upcoming film Black Currency’s shooting has been postponed till April so now I have ample time to devote to my farmhouse,” is the firm answer accompanied by that devilish smile.
Post Murder 2, Prashant was seen in low budget films like Mumbai Mirror and Cigarette ki Tarah which bombed at box-office. But this is not the first time for this actor. If he has been a part of critically acclaimed films like Shadows of Time – a German film, Via Darjeeling and Chhal, he also has some big-time flops against his name.
Fortunately, he takes both in his stride: “I do some very chillar type, cheap films occasionally. They give me a push to do something exciting in future. I am not saying this because of financial issues but because I want to see whether they work at the box-office. I don’t say ‘yes’ to all the films that come way, though. I do say ‘no’ also to many projects,” explains Prashant.
Has life changed after Murder 2? “Nothing as such has happened that shook me. My work in Bhindi Baazaar Inc. was appreciated but honestly, it doesn’t matter. I am happy when producers generate revenue from my work. But yes, it personally affects me if they don’t,” says Prashant, for whom being an actor is more important than being a star.
It is for this reason he has done many unconventional movies essaying mostly grey roles. But why grey? “Kaam mei mazaa nahin aayega agar grey shade characters nahin karoonga (It won’t be fun if I don’t do roles with grey shades). I do what interests me, otherwise I get bored during shooting. But I am not confined to serious roles. Directors in South India are making me dance too. I am doing ‘item songs’ for them,” he guffaws.
“You will see me dancing in my first Tamil film soon,” he says.
He, however, suddenly turns serious, “I am someone who can do all kinds of roles which everyone cannot. I know I am the best and don’t need anyone to validate this. And there are other things like music and production to explore in life, which I am passionate about.”
So, will he turn a producer sometime soon? “I am already a producer and have set up my own company. Recently, we released a short film titled Cinema ki Aankh. It is the story of a director who falls in love with an Iranian girl.” Interestingly, Prashant is also penning short stories for a coffee table book. “Till Until Then is the title of the book and there are 12 stories in it,” he shares.
How does he juggle such disparate things? “I have stopped planning anything because I have suffered a jolt whenever I have done that. I do everything that is interesting and comes my way. I don’t want to think beyond that,” says the multi-talented man.