Prithviraj Sukumaran
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| Prithviraj | |||||||
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| Born | 16 October 1982 Trivandrum,Kerala, India  |
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| Other name(s) | Raju, Prithvi | ||||||
| Years active | 2002 - present | ||||||
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Prithviraj is a popular Malayalam & Tamil film actor. He is the son of yesteryear's popular actors Sukumaran and Mallika(daughter of Chakrapani, elder brother of M.G.Ramachandran, late tamil actor and former chief minister of Tamilnadu). His brother Indrajith and sister-in-law Poornima are also film actors. Making his debut with the critically acclaimed film Nandanam, Prithviraj has since established himself in the Malayalam film industry through a variety of roles including those in "Stop Violence, Chocolate, Vaasthavam and Classmates. He is also making his mark in the Tamil film industry.
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[edit] Early life
Prithviraj is the younger son of the famous Malayalam actor, late Sukumaran and actress Mallika Sukumaran. His elder brother Indrajith is also an actor. He did his schooling from the Sainik School, [Kazhakkoottam, Thiruvananthapuram] and Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. Prithviraj, along with his brother Indrajith, used to take part in debates and elocutions in the school[1]. Prithviraj had also won the title of Mr LA Fest, in 1999 at LA Fest, an annual inter school Arts Festival hosted by Loyola School, Trivandrum. He represented Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan at the competition. He remains the only person to win the personality contest LA-Persona twice in the history of the competition(in 1998 & 1999)which started in 1996.[2].
He was still pursuing his Bachelor's in Computer Engineering at the University of Tasmania, Australia when he entered the film world in 2002.[3]Prithviraj was grabbed by the successful screen playwright Renjith to play the lead role in his directorial debut Nandanam (2002) during one of his vacation trips to Kerala.
It was Fazil, a leading Malayalam film director, who introduced him to Renjith[4]. Following a decent performance in Nandanam he was flooded with several exciting offers from the industry so that he decided to take a break from his studies and concentrate on acting.
[edit] Career
Prithviraj began his career in Malayalam in 2002. He was soon invited to act in Tamil films. He eventually became highly successful in both Malayalam and Tamil within very short span of time. Based on his enthralling performances, national Newspaper The Hindu has written that "(whether)his latest films ‘Chocolate,’ ‘Satham Podathey’ and ‘Kannamoochi Yenada’ flop or succeed, Prithiviraj is one of the young stars who will still be in the reckoning"[5]
[edit] Malayalam
Screen Playwright Renjith’s search for a new face to cast the lead role in his first directorial venture became successful when director Fazil presented him the results of a screen test that Prithviraj had earlier taken with him. After watching the video recording of the test, Renjith, immediately invited Prithviraj, who was on his vacation in Thiruvananthapuram, for a personal interview at Kozhikode. Renjith, apparently impressed by his physique and agility offered him the lead role in his debut film Nandanam (2002). Prithviraj accepted the offer and thus began his amazingly successful acting career in Malayalam tinsel world[6].
Ever since he endeared Malayali audiences as 'Manu' in Nandanam, Prithviraj has been flooded with tempting offers to the effect that he has already worked with some of the best directors in the business and on an average, hears close to three or four scripts a day[7]. Quite early in his career Prithviraj was fortunate to act in the films directed by leading figures in Malayalam film industry such as Lohitadas, Vinayan, Kamal and Bhadran.
Shortly after starring in Nandanam, alongside actress Navya Nair, Prithviraj managed to win the hearts of the Malayalam film audience, especially that of female viewers. He was noted for his performance in Stop Violence and Swapnakoodu, and also could mark his presence at the box-office. He was critically acclaimed for the performance of the character Sub Inspector Solomon Joseph in Vargam. In this film his character had to go through a wide range of emotions. In the first half of the film he was the corrupt and malicious Inspector, in the second half he falls victim to his arrogance and repents and tries to turn a new leaf.
In 2006, Lal Jose's Classmates was released and it turned out to be the biggest blockbuster in Malayalam cinema. The film had an ensemble cast consisting of Jayasurya, Narain, Indrajith and Kavya Madhavan. The Hindu quotes Shyamaprasad the famous Malayalam film director who has won many awards and accolades that Prithviraj's advantages are his talent and intelligence irrespective of his box office successes: "It's not fair to gauge his merit by such success rates alone. Prithviraj is an intense actor who is very talented and very intelligent"[8]. Shyamaprasad cast him in lead role in his much acclaimed offbeat flick Akale.
After Vargam, Prithviraj acted in another film Vaasthavam with the same director, M. Padmakumar. It was a hard hitting drama in which Prithviraj again got noticed for his intense acting. The role fetched him the Kerala State Award for Best Actor for 2006. He is the youngest actor to receive the State Award for the Best Actor.
His latest film Chocolate directed by Shafi has been receiving glowing reviews[9].His own performance in the film has been highly praised as contributing tremendously to the success the film enjoys[10]. Kangaroo directed by Raj Babu, has just been released. Shooting of the film Thalappavu directed by Madhupal with Prithviraj in the lead role, is in progress. It is expected to be released soon. The media reports about many of his upcoming Malayalam projects such as Robinhood, One Way Ticket etc are pouring in. He is now being cast in the lead role for the film titled Punyam Aham[11] produced and directed by Raj Nair, Thakazhi's grandson.
[edit] Tamil
In the mean time he made his Tamil debut as the villain in Kana Kandein (2005). His performance was noteworthy for his unconventional portrayal of the charector. Soon he got an opportunity to act under the direction of Bhagyaraj in the film Parijatham.
Bhagyaraj has said in an interview that that he became keen on involving Prithviraj in his project essentially influenced by the Media acclaim the actor received in Tamil Nadu following his amazing performance in Kana Kandein. "The entire media unanimously appreciated him in ‘Kana Kandein’. So it was with that confidence that I signed him"[12].
His performance in Parijatham also received similar attention and appreciation in Kollywood. One of his recent Tamil flick was Mozhi in which his splendid performance was highly praised. The film ran in packed houses for several weeks/months. His newest Tamil films are Sathum Podathey and Kannamoochi Yenada. The success of the films and his own intense performance in them have helped him to enhance his stardom in Tamil tinsel world. The subtle performance of Prithviraj in Kannamoochi Yenada has received special mention by many reviewers[13].
Vellithirai, the Tamil remake of Udayananu Tharam, a Malayalam box office success is his latest release in Tamil. Most reviews unequivocally praise Prithviraj's performance in the film. He is described as “flawless" in his role as an aspiring director. “His character demands underplaying and he exactly does he same. He is able to express the anger and agony of being cheated with aplomb. The way he reacts to the betrayal stands out”[14].Yet another review echoes the same feeling: “Prithviraj ... makes the best of his assets -- his expressive eyes, which glint in fury, soften with love, or brim over with frustrated tears” [15]
[edit] Telugu
Many Telugu producers and directors have been attempting to cast Prithviraj in their films. First there was news about Kalakanindhi[16]directed by Bhushan Kalyan produced by Ravi and Mahesh Kumar under the banner of Swan Creations. Late Raghuvaran and Anjala Zhaveri were co-staring with Prithvi in this film. Originally palnned to be complted in 2007, the project apears to have been delayed. The latest is the news of Police Police ( a Tamil & Telugu bilingual film) directed by Manmohan, a debutante, and produced by Chandu [17] Prithviraj, along with Srikanth is apparantly cast in the role of a police officer [18]. Prithviraj is reported to be well known in Telugu through the Telugu dubbing of the Malaylam film Ananthabadram as Sivapuram[19].
[edit] Awards
- Film Critics Award 2003 for Meerayude Dukham Muthuvinte Swapnam [20] (January 2004)
- Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for Vaasthavam 2006. [21] (February 2007)
- Mathrubhumi - PSS Most Popular Actor Award sponsored by Federal Bank[22] (October 2007)
- Sathyan Memorial Award for Best Actor 2006-07[23] (November 2007)
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Malayalam Films |
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| Year | Title | Role | Co-stars | Director |
| 2002 | Nakshathra Kannulla Rajakumaran Avanundoru Rajakumari | Ananthu | Gayathri Reguram | Rajasenan |
| 2002 | Stop Violence | Saathan | Chandra Laxman | A.K Sajan |
| 2002 | Nandanam | Manu Nandakumar | Navya Nair | Renjith |
| 2003 | Vellithira | Style Raj/Raghuram | Navya Nair | Bhadran |
| 2003 | Katha | Nandhan Menon | Kavya Madhavan | Sundar Das |
| 2003 | Nammal Thammil | Vicky | Geethu Mohandas | Viji Thampi |
| 2003 | Meerayude Dukham Muthuvinte Swapnam | Muthu | Renuka Menon | Vinayan |
| 2003 | Swapnakoodu | Kunjoonju / Alex Chandy | Meera Jasmine, Bhavana Balachandran | Kamal |
| 2003 | Ammakilikkoodu | Vivek | Navya Nair | Padmakumar |
| 2003 | Chakram | Chandrahaasan | Meera Jasmine, Chandra Lakshman | Lohitadas |
| 2004 | Vellinakshatram | Vinod Varma / Chandrachoodan | Karthika, Meenakshi | Vinayan |
| 2004 | Satyam | S.I. Sanjeev Kumar | Priyamani | Vinayan |
| 2004 | Akale | Neil | Geethu Mohandas Sheela | Shyama Prasad |
| 2005 | Albudhadweep | Hari | Mallika Kapoor | Vinayan |
| 2005 | Krithyam | Satya, Christy Lopez | Pavithra, Eva | Viji Thampi |
| 2005 | Police | Shekar | Bhavana Balachandran | V.K. Prakash |
| 2005 | Daivanaamathil | Anwar | Bhavana Balachandran | Jayaraj |
| 2005 | Ananthabhadram | Anandan | Kavya Madhavan, Manoj K Jayan | Santhosh Sivan |
| 2005 | Achan Urangaatha Veedu | Harikrishnan | Samvrutha Sunil | Lal Jose |
| 2006 | Vargam | S.I. Solomon Joseph | Renuka Menon | Padmakumar |
| 2006 | Classmates | P. Sukumaran | Kavya Madhavan | Lal Jose |
| 2006 | Vasthavam | Balachandran Adiga | Kavya Madhavan, Samvrutha Sunil,Sandhya Menon | Padamakumar |
| 2006 | Pakal | Nandakumar | Jyothirmayi | M A Nishad |
| 2006 | Oruvan | S.I. Jeevan | Meera Vasudev, Indrajith | Vinoo Anand |
| 2007 | Avan Chandiyude Makan | Kurien Chandy | Sridevika | Thulasidas |
| 2007 | Khakhee | S. I. Unnikrishnan | Mukesh, Manasa, Meera Vasudev | Bipin Prabhakar |
| 2007 | Veeralipattu | Hari | Murali, Padmapriya, Jagathy Sreekumar | Kukku Surendran |
| 2007 | Nadiya Kolapetta Rathri | Zia Musafir (Cameo Appearance) |
Suresh Gopi, Kavya Madhavan, Suraaj Venjaramoodu | K. Madhu |
| 2007 | Chocolate | Shyam Balagopal | Jayasurya, Roma, Samvrutha Sunil, Remya Nabeeshan | Shafi |
| 2007 | Kelkaatha Shabdham (Satham Podaathay dubbed) | Ravichandran | Padmapriya, Nithin Sathya, Nasser, Suhasini | Vasanth |
| 2007 | Kangaroo | Josekutty Palathunkal | Kavya Madhavan, Jayasoorya | Raj Babu |
[edit] Tamil Films |
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| Year | Title | Role | Co-stars | Director |
| 2003 | Moonram Pirai (Swapnakoodu dubbed) | Kuttikannan | Meera Jasmine, Bhavana Balachandran | Kamal |
| 2005 | Kana Kandaen | Madan | Srikanth, Gopika, Vivek, Amitha | K V Anand |
| 2006 | Parijatham | Surendar | Saranya Bhagyaraj, Prakash Raj | Bhagyaraj |
| 2007 | Mozhi | Karthik | Jyothika Saravanan, Swarnamalya, Prakash Raj | Radha Mohan |
| 2007 | Arputha Theevu (Adbuthadweepu dubbed) | Hari | Mallika Kapoor, Malavika | Vinayan |
| 2007 | Satham Podathey | Ravichandran | Padmapriya, Nithin Sathya, Nasser, Suhasini | Vasanth |
| 2007 | Kannamoochi Yenada | Harish Venkatramanan | Sandhya, Sathyaraj, Raadhika | V.Priya |
| 2008 | Vellitherai | Saravanan | Prakash Raj, Gopika, Lakshmi Rai | Viji |
| 2008 | Satya (Satyam dubbed) | S.I. Sanjeev Kumar | Priyamani | Vinayan |
[edit] Telugu Films |
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| Year | Title | Role | Co-stars | Director |
| 2006 | Sivapuram (Ananthabhadhram dubbed) | Kavya Madhavan, Manoj K Jayan | Santhosh Sivan | |
[edit] Upcoming Films |
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| Year | Title | Role | Co-stars | Director |
| 2008 | Thalappavu (Malayalam) | Naxal Joseph | Lal, Atul Kulkarni, Dhanya Mary | Madhupal |
| 2008 | Twenty:20 (Malayalam) | Guest Appearance | Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi Etc.. | Joshi |
| 2008 | One Way Ticket (Malayalam) | Kunjaappu (Jehangir) | Bhama, Radhika, Mammootty | Bipin Prabhakar |
| 2008 | Thirakatha (Malayalam) | Akbar Ahmed | Priyamani, Ajmal Ameer | Renjith |
| 2008 | Dr.Love / Love Doctor (Malayalam) | Biju Arookutty | ||
| 2008 | M.G Road (Malayalam) | Triple Role | Shaji Kailas | |
| 2008 | Robinhood (Malayalam) | Robinhood | Jayasurya | Joshi |
| 2008 | Untitled Film (Malayalam) | Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya | Shafi | |
| 2008 | Cousins (Malayalam) | Mohanlal | Lal Jose | |
| 2009 | Punyam Aham (Malayalam) | Samvrutha Sunil, Nedumudi Venu | Raj Nair | |
| 2008 | Abhiyum Naanum (Tamil) | Cameo appearance | Prakash Raj, Trisha Krishnan | Radha Mohan |
| 2008 | Ninaithale Inikkum (Tamil) | Sakthi Vasu, Priyamani | Kumaravel | |
| 2008 | Kalakanindhi (Telugu) | Anjala Zaveri, Raghuvaran | Bhushan Kalyan | |
| 2008 | Police Police(Tamil-Telugu Bi-lingual) | Ravikanth | Srikanth | Manmohan |
[edit] Quotes
- "Although films have always fascinated me, my perception was that I would fare better behind them. But now I love being an actor. I have worked with some of the best directors in the business and also, with new comers. On an average, I hear close to three or four scripts a day. And I have never fixed a deadline to be the next super star. Still, I do want to be remembered in film history, somewhere down the line, with some strong performances. That is all I aspire for"[24]
- "What I enjoy about acting is the adrenaline rush. When the director says, 'Action,' there is a huge rush of adrenaline, I don't know why. I just love the feeling of becoming somebody else"[25]
- "I used to take part in debates and elocutions in the school but was never an actor material. If at all my destiny lay in cinema, I thought it would have been on the technical side"[26]
- "I used to belong to that tribe of people who never knew what they wanted. Now, finally, I am doing something I like. I like the rush of adrenalin, the kick that acting gives me. I want to be an actor till I die"[27]
[edit] Trivia
- Prithviraj has an elder brother,Indrajith, who is also an actor.
- Prithviraj in his early years was asked to wear a beard in films because directors felt that it would make him look older.
- He is the youngest actor to receive the Kerala State Award for the Best Actor, breaking the record held by Mohan Lal for nearly 20 years.
- In 2004, Prithviraj was selected the Best Actor along with Navya Nair as Best Actress through a Gallup poll for the best talents in the TV-Film world conducted by the Emmanuel Saries, Thrissur. The award carried a cash prize of Rs. 25,000, a citation and a plaque. [29]
- Prithviraj is currently the Brand Ambassador of LG, India for the Kerala Sector.
[edit] External links
[edit] Interviews
- Nostalgia of a Thrilling Himalayan Tour' ("Himalayam Karangiya Thrillil") (May 14, 2008) M S Dileep, Manorama Online)''NEW''
- 'Prithviraj Wins Hearts'(05 February 2008)Anonymous (Republished in MSN India from Filmy South)
- We Do Love this Guy ("Ee Cheruppakkaarane Ishtamaanedaa")(November 2007) Ranjith Nair for Vanitha (Manorama Online)
- Prithviraj Silences Critics with Good Performances(October 7, 2007) Sangeeta in The Hindu
- Impeccable Masquerader of the Celluloid (Video Interview: Undated) In WebIndia123.com
- I Don’t Target Awards (“Ente Lakshyam Award Alla”)'' (April, 2007) Joseph Punnaveli in Malayala Manorama Sunday Edition
- The Man Behind Mozhi (March 2007) Shobha Warrier in Rediff.com
- Portrait of a Winner (February, 2007) Vijay George in The Hindu
- Prithviraj : Reveals his Experience in Film Industry (February, 2007) Unni Nair in Nowrunning.com
- Prithviraj Never Fails (September, 2006) In IndiaVilas.com
- Advantage Prithviraj (October, 2005) Vijay George in The Hindu
- Sincerity is his Forte (October, 2005) In Indiaglitz
- I Love Becoming Somebody Else' (May, 2005) Shobha Warrier in Rediff.com
[edit] Reviews
- Prithvi Ippol Puthiya Trackil (Prithvi in a new Track) (April 07, 2008) Staff Reporter in Malayala Manorama NEW
- Prithvi Loves... (October 11, 2007) P.M in The Hindu
- Prithviraj Constantly Proving Himself (April 19, 2007) MIO Team In Musicindiaonline.com
- Prithviraj on the Fast Lane to Superstardom! (April 11, 2007) P. Sreekumaran In Apunkachoice.com
- Prithviraj- Actor of Substance (February 18, 2007) In Sunday Kaumudi
- Prithviraj is Hot Property (July 05, 2006)In Oneindia.in
- On the Road to Stardom (May 2004) R. K. Roshni in The Hindu
- Defying the Ban (April 30, 2004) Renu Ramanath In The Hindu
- Prithviraj- Making a Rare Start (Undated) Aravind In Thatsmalayalam.com
[edit] Others
Orkut
Flickr
Youtube
Yahoo
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[edit] References
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