GV Prakash Kumar on ‘Happy Raj’: I am returning to my ‘Trisha Illana Nayanthara’ zone

In 2015, euphony composer GV Prakash Kumar made his debut arsenic a pb histrion successful the horror-comedy Darling and followed it with the big drama Trisha Illana Nayanthara. The Prakash we saw successful these films was animated and eruptive, successful opposition to the timid, soft-spoken composer audiences had known. “Then I abandoned that standard of acting, and I started doing superior films. Comedy is simply a precise risky zone. Which is wherefore galore films volition either beryllium a blast oregon a dud; there’s nary 2 ways astir it. That is wherefore I had stayed distant from it for truthful long,” says Prakash.

And now, aft much than 10 years since Trisha Illana Nayanthara, Prakash seems to beryllium returning to that portion successful the upcoming comedy-drama, Happy Raj, directed by debutant Maria Raja Elanchezhian. “I watched Trisha Illana Nayanthara when I was successful college, and the vibe of that film, commencement to end, was rather something. So I wanted to bring him backmost successful that zone, but successful a much family-friendly story,” says Maria. Happy Raj’s trailer promises a riotous drama surrounding the titular character’s romanticist escapades and a one-of-a-kind equation with his father, played by George Maryan.

Prakash chips successful to notation however many, similar Pradeep Ranganathan, whom Maria assisted, person been fans of Trisha Illana Nayanthara. “In fact, Pradeep narrated Comali to maine aft watching that film. I had adjacent suggested a mates of corrections. We were expected to bash that film, but that didn’t autumn through. But Pradeep has been successful interaction with maine ever since. Then we had films like Love Today, and Vignesh Shivan did Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal; Trisha Illana Nayanthara has inspired galore specified films. And now, Maria has taken the vigor of that movie and has done a jolly, family-friendly movie,” says the actor.

As drama is simply a risky zone, Prakash was initially sceptical astir Maria’s script. “He had worked retired the humour rather well, but I wasn’t definite however it would crook out, and truthful I asked him to sprout a fewer scenes. He took immoderate of his friends and changeable a fewer scenes connected his mobile phone, and it turned retired to beryllium phenomenal,” helium says, adding that the writer-director has struck a large equilibrium betwixt emotions and humour. “Audiences volition get to spot maine successful a brighter portion again, but astatine the aforesaid time, they volition besides spot and subordinate to the emotions.”

Everything Prakash and Maria accidental mightiness overgarment the representation of an over-the-top protagonist, but Happy Raj, Prakash stresses, is an introverted quality whose situations unit him to scope a definite way. “Moreover, we person lone shown the precocious moments successful the trailer. He is an introvert who sometimes laments. He’s a spot timid, and helium can’t attack thing head-on; helium would tally distant if we enactment him successful a hard situation.”

The histrion adds that the assemblage volition person a pivotal takeaway astatine the extremity of the film. “It’s a movie dedicated to each azygous father. It’s a coming-of-age communicative of a begetter and a son. It’s astir however they recognize beingness successful their ain ways.”

Having a multihyphenate similar Prakash has surely helped Maria successful making his debut film. “Being a composer, helium knows the bushed of the scenes. Whenever helium finishes shooting a bully scene, helium would say, ‘This is simply a hit. Mark this country for promos.’ He knows the pulse of the audience.”

In Happy Raj, the casting of tv property and YouTuber Adhirchi Arun has turned rather a fewer heads — successful fact, astir of the comments nether the trailer of the movie are astir this casting. Of late, it has go a inclination to formed influencers and net personalities successful films to assistance promotions, but Maria says that wasn’t the lawsuit with Arun. “We were searching for idiosyncratic to play this role, and Arun comes with a batch of energy. This is wherefore we formed him. In fact, helium joined our movie much than 1 and a fractional years ago, earlier helium recovered a interruption arsenic a YouTuber,” says Maria.

Speaking of promotions, past month, we had different GV Prakash release, Lucky The Superstar, which passed without notice. Happy Raj, meanwhile, has managed to make immoderate pre-release buzz. Is determination a look for a palmy promotional run for a film? Prakash says that 1 tin ne'er foretell whether the promotions volition work. “Beyond each publicity, it depends connected the prime of the film. If you person bully promotions, you volition get a bully opening. But if you person a bully film, it volition go its ain promotion,” helium adds.

Of late, euphony composers from AR Rahman and Anirudh Ravichander to Yuvan Shankar Raja and Hiphop Tamizha person resorted to a unsocial promotional maneuver — they prima arsenic themselves successful comic promotional videos of their films’ singles, mostly alongside the manager and the hero. Prakash, who was precocious seen successful the hilarious promos of Ken Karunaas’ Youth, says that we request specified promos due to the fact that the attraction span of audiences has declined. “We request to seizure the assemblage with something, and specified originative ideas help. It’s bully that much composers and directors are opening up, leaving their inhibitions speech and performing connected promos.” He mentions however helium had to marque composer Justin Prabhakar, who was simply visiting the sets, shingle a limb successful the promo of ‘Aadiney Irupen’. “It helps the assemblage cheque retired however the squad is, the vibe of the opus and the film, and erstwhile they spot that excitement, they subordinate to the movie and determine to ticker it.”

This year, Prakash celebrates completing 20 years arsenic a euphony composer; his debut movie Veyil was released successful 2006. The composer says that successful each these years, the joyousness of creating hasn’t faded 1 bit. “It’s akin to a kid getting a caller toy. That joyousness volition ne'er fade. My occupation has ever been successful the unit that surrounds it. If you physique a marque and make a batch of expectations astir it, determination volition beryllium a batch of pressure. Back erstwhile I started, determination were nary expectations, and truthful I focussed connected the music.” But present determination are stars, critics, societal media comments, and much that inhabit his mind, helium says. “All that said, astatine the extremity of the day, erstwhile I make something, that magic is ever there,” adds the composer.

He credits his soulful melodies arsenic the crushed for his longevity arsenic a composer. “Just a fewer days back, idiosyncratic shared a video successful which a pistillate approaches a foreigner playing a soft and asks him to play ‘En Jeevan,’ which she says is her favourite song. It’s been 10 years since that opus was released. So to cognize that your opus is inactive playing successful the aforesaid vibe is thing precise precious,” helium says.

On the acting side, Prakash volition beryllium seen adjacent successful Selvaraghavan’s Mental Manadhil. “It’s much of a Yaaradi Nee Mohini gathering a quintessential Bollywood rom-com. It has joyful penning by Selvaraghavan, immoderate affectional scenes, and is an absorbing musical.”

If 1 glances astatine Prakash’s Wikipedia page, they mightiness beryllium shocked to spot a agelong database of delayed projects, similar Adangathey, Aayiram Jenmangal, and Idimuzhakkam, which are waiting for a release.

Prakash says there’s nary reply to wherefore this became the case. “Even the top of stars similar Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar person a database of delayed oregon shelved films. In fact, erstwhile we started Happy Raj, which is directed and produced by newcomers, I told them ‘See, delight don’t discarded my time. Somehow implicit the shoot.’ They asked maine not to interest and that they would decorativeness shooting the film, and they did that. So we can’t predict.” Can we astatine slightest expect Seenu Ramasamy’s Idimuzhakkam to yet release? “I don’t cognize if it volition spot the airy of day,” signs disconnected Prakash.

Happy Raj releases successful theatres connected March 27