Good Bad Ugly star Prasanna ahead of Puthandu: 'We celebrate every festival at home with family'

This time around, I didn’t fully believe it, and I was not even ready to tell anyone about the film until I wrapped up the first few days of the shoot. Like I posted on social media, since Mankatha, I’ve always been considered for Ajith sir’s films, but for various reasons, at the last moment, many opportunities didn’t materialise. So, when this offer came, I just wanted to be certain it was actually on. The moment I met Ajith sir on set, he said, “This has been getting postponed for so long. I’m so happy you’re a part of this film,” and gave me a big hug. That moment I felt, “Yes, it’s finally happening.”

When Ajith sir first meets someone, he usually enquires about their well-being and their family. What stands out about him is he remembers people even after years. For example, many years ago, Sneha had worked with him, and her sister Sangeetha did her costumes. Ajith sir still remembers her and asked about her, her children, and their education. I told them they are in college, and he was like, “Oh! They are all grown up.” He even asked about my brother, who had worked as an assistant cinematographer on one of his films years ago.

As for films, we didn’t discuss much. When I worked with him for Good Bad Ugly, he was preparing for his race season. He was so excited about it—talking about his car, team uniforms, the logo and design of his helmet. You can see a different person altogether when he talks about racing and cars. He turns into an enthusiastic teenager. When I first met him on the set, he was about 115 kg. He told me he had to lose about 35 kilos by January to be competitive in his races. For every 10 kg he loses, it saves him one second per lap, which is a lot in a race. He was on a strict one-meal-a-day diet, and despite working long hours for the film, he was also focused on losing weight for the race.

I was hoping to play Ajith sir’s villain someday, and I still wish for that role. However, in this film, I’m not a villain. It’s about a team of gangsters, and my character is part of the AK gang.

I come from a family where we never went to the theaters and watched a movie. Back then, my parents didn’t follow films at all, so they couldn’t even differentiate between Ajith sir and Vijay sir. But now, they know all the stars very well, and yes, life has definitely come full circle in a way because, ever since I became an actor, I always idolised Ajith sir and wanted to work with him. And now, that dream has come true.

Not much has changed. My aspirations remain the same—I still love movies the way I always did. I’m still focused on learning more and becoming a better actor. I dream of doing better films.

Absolutely. I would love to learn new languages. I’ve worked in Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. If the right opportunity comes, the language won’t matter.

It’s not just actors; everyone is under constant scrutiny these days. In the past, unless you were asked for your opinion, people didn’t give unsolicited advice. I have kept my distance from social media of late. I only use it when I need to communicate something with my fans and followers. I don’t share my everyday routines, like what I eat or where I travel. I keep that private.

It’s the same for everyone. For example, take the girl (Mona Lisa) who was selling beads. See how her life has turned upside down. Sneha and I were discussing it and we wondered if the girl ever wanted to go back to her normal life; how difficult it was going to be for her. Social media can be both a boon and a curse. It’s a tool that needs to be handled carefully. It’s like wielding a sword—you have to be cautious.

We’ve slowed down on sharing family moments, which we used to earlier. We’ve decided to give them their space and privacy, as we don’t know what they’ll want to do when they grow up or what kind of personality they will have. Whatever happens, we want it to happen organically, without overexposing them.

Touch wood, they are amazing kids, and we’re blessed. They are perfect as they are. We’re not pushing any advice on them at this stage. I’m sure when they need it, they’ll come to us. That’s the space that we have given them.

We try to spend at least half an hour together every day. We play board games, chit-chat, and run around the house playing hide-and-seek. Sneha is particular about watching movies with the kids on weekends. Saturday night is for movie time with the kids, and Sunday afternoon is for us.

We love watching movies, especially thrillers and horrors, but we don’t really discuss movies as a family.

See… my goals are different from his, and his goals are different from mine, but what truly inspired me about Ajith sir was his unwavering commitment. Like I said earlier, even while working on the film, he followed a strict one-meal-a-day diet that consisted only of a salad and soup. It made us feel guilty sitting next to him during breaks, but he would always say, “Neenga Saapdunga,” and then sit aside to watch racing documentaries or videos on his phone.

He was determined that this year he would achieve at least three podium finishes—and he’s already secured two, one in Dubai and the other in Europe. That alone was a massive inspiration. Despite having everything—money, fame, and success—he still pursued his passion and childhood dream. All this, despite the accidents he had in previous races that left him with back injuries.

 I remember shooting in Bulgaria when the temperature dropped to minus five degrees, and Ajith sir could barely stand up straight because of the back pain. Yet, as soon as the shoot ended, he would lean on someone for support but never let his goal out of his sight.

Both Sneha and I love food. We enjoy sweets, pastries, and chocolates. On vacations, we go all out and indulge, but once we’re back and focused on goals, we’re strict with our diet. I otherwise stick to a healthy diet unless I have specific goals to change it. I work out every day, which includes a one-hour run.

Absolutely, I have learned that from Sneha. She loves to travel, and now the kids do as well. We had a wonderful trip to London last year, and this year, maybe we will plan a trip to Europe.

We celebrate all festivals at home, and Tamil New Year is no exception. We make sure to celebrate it with our family, and we’re looking forward to the celebrations.

It’s not always the same. For instance, for Good Bad Ugly, I was out of the country for a month. When I’m away for work, we stay connected through phone calls and video calls. Time zones don’t matter. We make sure to stay in touch, no matter where we are.

Right now, there is nothing in the pipeline. Honestly, we have never felt comfortable being in a film together. But I do ask her from time to time. Recently, I heard a script where I will be playing the protagonist after a long time. So, I asked her, “Will you be my heroine?” She was like, “Enna thideernu?” She didn’t even react to it. It was a conscious decision to not work together on a film after films like Achchamundu! Achchamundu!. But we didn’t get any exciting scripts as well.

It’s a bit early to give details, but yes, something is brewing. In the next couple of months, there will be an official announcement about it.

Not really. I’ve enjoyed all the roles I’ve played, regardless of the role or language. Each role has been a learning experience, and I don’t have any regrets or complaints.