“I act only in front of the camera. I have no reason to act when I’m not in front of the camera. I’m not like those others who might hate you in their hearts but grin at you and hug you when they see you. I’m like my father in these things. He wasn’t all that good at creating a very friendly impression when he met strangers. It took a lot of time for him to get comfortable with people whom he didn’t know. But my dad never minced his words when it came to speaking the truth. My brother is a lot like my mother in that department,� the actor began.

Staying abroad all by himself and getting a good education sure has had a positive effect on young Prithviraj. Even if his film career never took off, he had alternative career options thanks to his education. The confidence reflects in his personality. Veterans like Tilagan, Lalu Alex and director Vinayan call him “Sukumaran’s son who has a spine�.

Prithviraj’s “spine� had earned him lot of enemies in AMMA. When the enmity was at its peak, Prithviraj had to suffer a lot. His career in Malayalam came to a grinding halt. But he nurtures no grudge against them now.

So, do you know how to act?



This is a very subjective question. I’m one of those lucky few who are making a career in something that they really love doing. I love the film industry. I was initially interested in making a career behind the camera. I wanted to join as an assistant director. But when I came back to Kerala for my vacations, I ended up playing the lead role in ‘Nandanam’. Frankly, I never thought that I could become an actor. But fate had a different plan. Director Ranjit approached me.

I watched some of my favorite films crash at the box office. Some of my films that became box office hits are the ones that I least expected to succeed. When someone approaches me with a new offer, I listen to the story not from an actor’s point of view. I try to see the story from the audience’s perspective. I give a serious thought about the film’s potential to bring the audience from their homes to the theatres. My judgment has gone wrong many times before.

I never felt that a role wouldn’t suit me. I’m not going to say that I have mastered the art of acting. I will have to act in atleast a hundred films before I could properly evaluate myself as an actor. Right now I believe that I’m capable enough to do all sorts of roles.