Actor Prashant Karthi, who is currently gearing up for his upcoming film Anantha, speaks to The Pioneer, discusses his desire to play a villainous character, and also shares some exclusive details about his upcoming Telugu film.
K. Ramya Sree
Actor Prashant Karthi, who rose to fame after playing the powerful role of the late Naxal RK (alias Polam Sudharshan), a close friend of Konda Murali in the Ram Gopal Varma directorial Konda, is climbing up the ladder with a unique choice of projects.
The actor was recently in the news after pledging to donate his film Anantha’s collections to the victims of the recent train mishap at Balasore, Odisha, that resulted in many deaths.
“We are planning to release the film in nearly 70 theatres. But for the theatre expenses, we plan to give away all the collections to the relief fund to help the Odisha train accident victims and their families on behalf of the Telugu film industry,” he earlier announced on June 7 at the time of his film’s release.
The actor is now busy with multiple projects in hand, not just in Telugu but also with a film in Kannada, which is all set to be released soon.
Known for his appearances in Dhruva, Veera Bhoga Vasantha Rayalu, and Check, Prashant spoke exclusively to The Pioneer and shared, “I made my debut in 2016 with Dhruva. I played a police officer in that film. Since it was being made by a big banner and also starred a big hero (Ram Charan), that’s why I did that film. However, my claim to fame was Konda, in which I played RK. People began to recognise me after that, and it is hands down Ram Gopal Varma who gave a push in this industry.”
Prashant confessed that he loves to do action films with negative characters. “I can’t wait to play a villain role. I want to do roles that have an arc, and language is no barrier. I have done a movie in Kannada that also stars Ramya Krishna. I am awaiting the release of it,” he shared.
His upcoming movie in Telugu, which is set against the Rayalaseema backdrop, will also see him play a different character with a twist in the climax. The movie is directed by a debutante Kannada director and stars a Malayali beauty in the lead role, whose details will soon be made official. Meanwhile, talking about his character in this movie, Prashant shared, “I get to play two characters in this movie, one of a youngster and the other of a 60-year-old man. This aspect attracted me as I got to show more of my skills. Another interesting aspect of this film is that this is a real story that took place in Proddatur, and we are making it in a cinematic way.”
It has been a good seven years for Prashant in this industry, and it is Anantha that stands out as the most memorable film for him, not only because he played the lead actor in it but also because he produced the film all by himself. The actor shared, “The making of a movie is not easy. Until the output is out, you are always under pressure. Although I enjoyed the whole process, when the movie was finally out, I was very relieved and happy.”
On the other hand, he also has an OTT show ready for release in which he plays a lead actor. The documentary, directed by Ram Gopal Varma’s associate Agasthya Manju, stars a foreign actress as the female lead. The project is currently in the post-production stage.
Furthermore, on a personal note, Prashant shared in conclusion that he has been passionate about acting since childhood. “I have been passionate about acting since my childhood. Even during my school and college days, I was very active in stage plays and dramas. I must say I entered the industry late. I did my theatre training initially before getting into movies. Of course, I had my share of struggles initially, but it was my passion for acting and this craft that kept me driving.”
