Venkat Prabhu

Venkat Prabhu
Born	Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren (1975-11-07) 7 November 1975 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Actor, director, playback singer, screenwriter
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Rajalakshmi (2001–present)
Relatives	Premji Amaren (Brother), Gangai Amaren (Father)

Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren (born 7 November 1975), better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu, is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry. After completing his education, he began pursuing an acting career, with his first three ventures, featuring him in a starring role, failing to release, following which he began appearing in character roles. He hogged spotlight for the first time when he turned director with the summer hit Chennai 600028 (2007). He achieved further commercial successes with his subsequent directorials Saroja (2008),Biriyani (2013) and Mankatha (2011). His father Gangai Amaren is a renowned music director.

Career

Early years

Venkat Prabhu lived in the United Kingdom for seven years; during that time, he completed his high school and university studies, obtaining a degree in accounting at Middlesex University. Following his return to India, Prabhu began singing for demos by his cousins, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Karthik Raja, and started his career as a playback singer in the film industry. In 1996, he, his brother Premgi Amaren and his childhood friend S. P. B. Charan set up a music band called Next Generation, which also featured Yugendran and Thaman as members, and did several stage performances. The following year, Prabhu played the lead role opposite Sangeetha in a film titled Poonjolai directed by his father Gangai Amaren, but the film was cancelled mid-production and attempts to revive and release the film by the late-2000s were unsuccessful. Prabhu starred in two more ventures, alongside his friends S. P. B. Charan and Yugendran, Wanted, directed by Premgi Amaren, and Agathiyan's Kadhal Samrajyam, both failing to release as well. Venkat Prabhu was then approached to essay supporting roles, with April Maadhathil (2002), becoming his first release. He went on to play character roles in nearly ten films, the most notable ventures being N. Linguswamy's Ji, starring Ajith Kumar, and the Perarasu-directorial Sivakasi, featuring Vijay in the lead role. In 2008, He worked in Seeman's Vaazhthugal alongside Madhavan in his last credited appearance to date. He also played lead roles in Samuthirakani's directorial debut, Unnai Charanadaindhen and Gnabagam Varuthey (2007), both co-starring Charan.

Chennai 600028 and the future

In 2007, Venkat Prabhu ventured into film directing with the sports comedy film Chennai 600028, produced by S. P. B. Charan that revolved around a street cricket team from a suburban area in Chennai, with its players being portrayed by 11 newcomers, including his brother Premgi. The film emerged a sleeper hit, garnering high critical acclaim and becoming labelled a "cult classic" in the following years, which led to the lead cast growing in popularity. He next directed the comedy thriller film Saroja (2008), the title being derived from a hit number from Chennai 600028, which also featured an ensemble cast including Charan and Premgi. The film followed the journey of four young men who, by taking a diversion off the main road, land into the hands of a kidnapper gang; it received positive response from critics and at the box office as well. He followed it up with Goa (2010), a full-length comedy film, which received mixed response and fairly well at the box-office. In 2011, he directed his biggest project to date, the action thriller Mankatha, featuring Ajith Kumar in the lead role went on to become one of the highest grossing Tamil movies of all time.

His next project, Biriyani (2013), featured Karthi and Hansika Motwani in the lead roles.

After Biriyani, Venkat Prabhu directed Massu Engira Masilamani with Suriya in the lead role. The film was produced by K. E. Gnanavelraja's Studio Green and co-produced by S. R. Prakashbabu and S. R. Prabhu; it was released on 29 May 2015.

Venkat Prabhu has often taken an unconventional approach to filmmaking and has brought a number of innovations to the industry through the characters and screenplays of his films.

Personal life

Venkat Prabhu is the son of director-turned-music-director Gangai Amaran and older brother to actor, singer and music director Premji Amaran. His uncle is the music director Ilayaraaja and his cousins are the music composers Yuvan Shankar Raja, Karthik Raja and singer Bhavatharini. S. P. B. Charan, producer of Prabhu's first directorial venture Chennai 600028, is his very close friend and they both have worked together on several projects.

He did his schooling at St. Bede’s school in Chennai. On 10 September 2001, Venkat Prabhu married Rajalakshmi, the foster daughter of dance teacher K. J. Sarasa, and has a daughter named Shivani. Shivani has already sung a song for the album Thaaaii when she was 5 years old.

Filmography

Direction

Year	Film	Language	Notes	Verdict
2007	Chennai 600028	Tamil	Vijay Award for Best Find of the Year Vijay Award for Best Crew Nominated—Vijay Award for Best Director Nominated—Vijay Award for Best Story, Screenplay Writer	Blockbuster
2008	Saroja	Tamil	Nominated—Vijay Award for Favourite Director	Super Hit
2010	Goa	Tamil	Edison Award for Best Romantic Film	Super Hit
2011	Mankatha	Tamil	Vijay Award for Favourite Director ITFA Best Director Award Edison Awards – Best Director of the Year	All Time Blockbuster
2013	Biriyani	Tamil		Hit
2015	Masss	Tamil		Super Hit

Acting

Year	Film	Role	Note
2002	April Maadhathil	Kadhir's friend
	Vikadan	Harish's friend
2003	Unnai Saranadainthaen	Kannan
2004	Neranja Manasu	Machakaalai
2005	Ji	Uma
	Sivakasi
	Mazhai	Kasi
2007	Vasantham Vandhachu	Kumaresan
	Gnabagam Varuthey	Ramu
2008	Vaazhthugal	Kalai
	Saroja		Special appearance
2010	Goa		Special appearance
2011	Mankatha		Uncredited appearance
2013	Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham	Himself	Special appearance
2014	Ninaithathu Yaaro	Himself	Special appearance
	Vadacurry
	Nalanum Nandhiniyum	Himself	Special appearance
	Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam	Himself	Special appearance
	Theriyama Unna Kadhalichitten	Himself	Special appearance
2015	Vizhithiru		Filming
Delayed	Rendavathu Padam		Special appearance

Singer

No	Film	Song	Composer	Notes
1	Kalyana Galatta	"Aadham Evaal"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
2	Ullasam	"Cholare"	Karthik Raja
3	Daas	"Ennoda Raasi"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
4	Veyilodu Vilayadu	"Kattukadanga"	Karthik Raja
5	Kadhal Samrajyam	"Mullai Poo"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
6	Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum	"Muthathu Pakkathile"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
7	Siddu +2	"Naan Aalana Thamarai"	Dharan
8	Adhe Neram Adhe Idam	"Nammooru Chennaiyile"	Premji Amaren
9	Thulluvadho Ilamai	"Neruppu Kootadikkuthu"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
10	Pugaippadam	"Oru Kudaiyil"	Gangai Amaran
11	Enakku 20 Unakku 18	"Oru Nanban"	A. R. Rahman
12	Samba	"Nandamuri Chandamama"	Mani Sharma
13	Thozha	"Oru Nayagan"	Premji Amaren
14	Chennai 600028	"Yaaro"	Yuvan Shankar Raja
15	Goa	"Yezhuzhu Thalaimurai"	Yuvan Shankar Raja

Television

• Idho Boopalam
• Kundakka Mandakka
• Thedathey Tholaindhu Povai
• Kollywood Kings

Recurring collaborators

Venkat Prabhu often casts certain actors more than once in his films. His younger brother Premji has appeared in all of his movies whereas Jai, Shiva, Vaibhav and Sampath Raj are among his most frequent acting collaborators.

Venkat's cousin, Yuvan Shankar Raja, has composed the music for all his films, whilst another cousin, Vasuki Bhaskar, contributes as the costume designer. Duo Praveen and Srikanth have been Venkat's editors and Sakthi Saravanan has served as cinematographer for all of Venkat's films except Masss in which R.D.Rajasekhar was the cinematographer.Stunt Silva worked as stunt choreographer for all of Venkat's film except Chennai 600028.

Actor	Chennai 600028 (2007)	Saroja (2008)	Goa (2010)	Mankatha (2011)	Biriyani (2013)	Masss (2015)
Premji Amaren	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Jai	Y	Cameo	Y		Cameo	Cameo
Shiva	Y	Y
Vaibhav		Y	Y	Y	Cameo	Cameo
Sampath Raj	Y	Y	Y	Voice over	Y
Aravind Akash	Y	Cameo	Y	Y	Cameo	Y
Subbu Panchu		Cameo		Y	Y	Y
Nithin Sathya	Y	Cameo			Y
Vijay Vasanth	Y	Cameo		Cameo	Cameo	Cameo

External links

• Venkat Prabhu's Official Website
• Venkat Prabhu's twitter profile

• Venkat Prabhu at the Internet Movie Database
• Venkat Prabhu's profile at Cinema Express