On sound ground

A R Rahman's nephew G V Prakash is known as much for the hits that he has delivered in the capacities of both a hero and as a music director, but also for his support for social causes, writres Manigandan K R

He is one of Tamil film industry’s top music directors and most bankable heroes. But that is not what makes actor and music director G V Prakash special. The young music director, who is also the nephew of music director A R Rahman, is known as much for the hits that he has delivered in the capacities of both a hero and as a music director, but also for his support for social causes.

From the fight for Jallikattu to the protests against National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), Prakash has been at the forefront, helping people and lending his voice to social causes. A fiery activist at heart, Prakash has never hesitated to stand up and be counted when it comes to doing his bit for the society.

The man, who is currently playing the lead in at least half a dozen films and is also scoring the music for some of the most eagerly-awaited films this year, including Thalaivi, the Jayalalithaa biopic directed by A L Vijay, and director Sudha Kongara’s Suriya-starrer Soorarai Pottru, still manages to find time for social causes. In his latest attempt, he is trying to identify those who silently contribute to society.

A beginning

Prakash says, “It is true. I am planning to bring out a programme called Magaththaana Manithargal on my YouTube channel. We are identifying ordinary people who have been silently contributing to society and will then interview them. We want to shine the light on such unknown people and make them an inspiration for others to follow.”

Stating that several such good samaritans have already been identified, Prakash says, “When I did a song for the Neduvaasal protests, we thought why not do something like this. The spark for this programme came when my team told me about a teacher in Javaadhu Hills, in Tiruvannamalai, who has been educating children of tribesmen there. We have interviewed her as part of this programme. Another real-life hero who is to appear on this programme is a man who has been instrumental in desilting drains and thereby helping us recover our water bodies. Several more such interviews are on their way.”

Music to ears

Talking about three huge films for which he is scoring music at the moment, Prakash says, “At the moment, I am scoring music for A L Vijay’s Thalaivi, which features Kangana Ranaut in the lead and which will be a biopic of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. I am also scoring music for Saala Khadoos director Sudha Kongara’s Soorarai Pottru, which features Suriya in the lead and which is actually a biopic of Air Deccan founder G R Gopinath, and then, I am also working with Vetrimaran on the Dhanush-starrer Asuran.”

Giving out more details about the music of these three films, the young music director says, “Soorarai Pottru will have more of international music. We have completed composing three songs for Vetrimaran’s Asuran. The film’s theme will be more of folk along with a little bit of world music. We are yet to begin work on Thalaivi’s music but the music for this film will be in retro style and will have vintage pieces.”

If the list of films that he is scoring music for is impressive, then the list of films that he is playing the lead right now is astounding. He has been headlined for Adangaathey, that is being directed by Shanmugam Muthusamy, to director Venkat Pakkar’s 4G to Ravi Arasu’s Ayangaran.

But the two big films of his that have caught everybody’s attention are director Sasi’s upcoming film Sivappu Manjal Pachchai, in which Prakash plays the lead along with actor Siddharth, and director Vasantabalan’s Jail, which is rooted in reality, he says.