Nirdigantha is training and polishing theatre artistes to be more relevant — Indulge interviews Prakash Raj to find out more

If you do not know who Prakash Raj is, you probably live under a rock. But fret not, we will ease you in and give you an introduction to one of the most talented actors India has ever seen! Born Prakash Rai in Bengaluru, the 59-year-old director, producer, television presenter and politician is known for his work in Telugu, Tamil, English, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi-language films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including five National Film Awards, eight Nandi Awards, eight Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and four SIIMA Awards, among many others.

Apart from his mother tongue Kannada and Tulu, Prakash’s fluency in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Marathi has placed him among the most sought after actors in Indian cinema. Beginning his career on stage, he debuted in the Kannada film Mithileya Seetheyaru (1988) but was catapulted into fame with his role in Tamil film Duet (1994). He has gone on to perform in some of the most celebrated films in South India, including Tamil films Bombay (1995), Aasai (1995), Kalki (1996), Iruvar (1997), Minsara Kanavu (1997), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Gilli (2004), Kanchivaram (2008), OK Kanmani (2015); and more recently Jai Bhim (2021), K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) in Kannada, Varisu (2023) and Guntur Kaaram (2024) in Telugu. Equally popular in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies, he has also amassed a large fan following in North India owing to his films being dubbed in Hindi.

Known for being vocal about his opinions on society, politics and the country at large, Prakash decided to give back to the theatre community — where he began his acting career from — a year ago; and Nirdigantha was born out of that effort. A year after the theatre project in Srirangapattana took off and began functioning, we catch up with the star in its beautiful environs on a perfect rainswept monsoon afternoon to find out everything you need to know about the space…

Let’s start from the very beginning, tell me everything about Nirdigantha, how did the whole idea come about?

I always wanted to come back to theatre but always wondered how to do it properly. I began my journey here and then moved into so many other things. The question always plagued me — do I come back as an actor or do I start a theatre group? Then I realised my relevance is more important. Coming back as an actor was not relevant to me anymore. I realised, what the country needs is an incubator. An incubator to focus on youngsters and help them reach their full potential. So many youngsters who finish diplomas and degrees find themselves without any purpose. I wanted to create a space where one could feel comfortable to fail. A place, a space where you can unlearn, experiment, create. That’s the idea behind this incubator we now call Nirdigantha.

So, the space is tucked away in rural Srirangapattana, a short ride from Mysuru, but still quite the distance from an urban area — was this intentional?

From the very beginning, I knew this space also had to be cut off from urban spaces. You need that aloofness and a space that is silent, a space among nature for real learning.

Is Nirdigantha therefore a theatre school?

According to me, a theatre space is a space of learning but it isn’t really a school. Theatre always has purpose and the possibilities are endless. It’s not just about bringing in new scripts and productions. For example, we are fully aware that theatre can be a tool in mainstream education. That’s why we initiated a project called Shalaranga. UNESCO has very clearly laid out what needs to be taught in an education system and you see our established educational systems today which are very informative. But what about the scientific temper? What about perception? What about creativity? That’s where theatre can come in. We noticed that across the world, theatre has been used a lot in education, but that is still a fledgling movement in India. We also realised that there is no curriculum. There are theatre actors but what are they supposed to teach? How are they supposed to teach? What is children’s theatre? And so, for the last one year, our process and focus has largely revolved around creating this curriculum. We first experimented with around 200 schools and then focused the programs in six schools and it all reached its peak in January when we brought in around 25 specialists who have worked for decades in theatre and then, they brought in their models and compared it to our models and our documentation; and we finally arrived at a curriculum that we were all satisfied with. Now we’re here at the one year celebration. We have a batch of 20 students and two different projects.

Nirdigantha is in Srirangapattana, we are in the Kannada heartland. And you are very connected to the Kannada theatre movement. You are from Karnataka itself. Do you see a project like this or an idea like this going into the other South Indian states as well?

I have got requests from Kerala, from Telangana and from Tamil Nadu. What I tell them is I can’t cut and paste this format. In Karnataka, it has texts in Kannada, it has poems in Kannada, different dialects of Karnataka — we feed off all this cultural richness. Similarly,  like-minded people, like-minded writers, like-minded poets have to come together in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana. What I’ve said to most people is, “Let me finish this one year. Then come and work here. See what is happening. Then we will see if and how you all can join together.” I am fully aware that it is going to grow.

We know you come from Dakshina Kannada yourself. Will we see a Tulu movement revival in theatre too?

Why not? If there is something in anything, it will fight it and it will revive itself. Today we see Rishabh Shetty or Rakshit Shetty and several  music directors coming out from the region and there are stories coming out in cinema. The visuals from that land, the colours of that land — it will definitely happen in theatre too!

On that note, we are going to quickly move to cinema. Everyone loves you for the wide variety of roles you have played. What is it that you still want to do when it comes to a role in a film?

I think, I was just lucky for three decades. Now, it is totally different. Actually, I have to reinvent myself as an actor. There are a lot of directors coming out. I have now done a film by a Marathi director. I have done one web series called Cheeku. The demands are totally different. Now Rajkumar Hirani is planning a web series. His demands are also different. The audience are different. The platform is different. So, this diversity is keeping me alive. The sort of projects which are coming my way and opening up to younger directors and their demands — they all want something new. They don’t need an actor like you. Then how do I inspire them? How do I unlearn again? And tell them that I want to learn. That I will be relevant.

Are we looking at more projects? You directed three projects. Are you going to do something else soon?

Yes. I am already penning a script. I have also received two important films for youngsters. I think Nirdigantha will also venture into film making also. We will be announcing that in a few months time, for sure.

What can your fans look forward to in the immediate future?

There is one film which is coming up with Dhanush, Raayan. There is another film with NTR, Devara, which is a big market film. There is also a Kannada film called Bagheera. There are a few more projects but they’ll be announced soon. I also have a web series coming out soon and I might make my Bengali debut soon too!

Lastly, before we let you go, you have always been talking about being socially conscious. Where do you see the art world, the cinema world and your personal life going when it comes to being socially relevant, inclusive and being socially forward in a country like India?

As an artiste it is my responsibility to be vocal. I just read a Palestinian poem. It says, “if you don’t want politics in my poetry, I need to listen to the birds. In order to listen to the birds, the sounds of the war planes have to be silenced.” It becomes, as an artiste, my responsibility to be sensitive and socially relevant. You see, the wounds inflicted on a body may heal with silence. Wounds inflicted on a society or a country will however become deeper with silence. We need to speak up. Civil society has to wake up. You can’t see destruction happening around and stay quiet. That’s why I am very strong with my political views. I am fearless about it. Because I am not lying. I am positive. An actor becomes popular not only because of his talent. It’s about the love of the people and more than that, the trust they have in him. I don’t want to lose that trust. Nirdigantha is also my way of expressing my personal politics.

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