Mumbai South star Prabhas says he has been a fan of Amitabh Bachchan, his co-star in “Kalki 2898 AD”, since childhood and remembers one of his uncles sporting a hairstyle that the megastar made popular in the 70s.
The actor thanked producer Aswini Dutt and director Nag Ashwin for giving him the opportunity to work with “great legends” like Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in the futuristic drama that also stars Deepika Padukone in the lead role.
"It's like a dream," said the “Baahubali” star, recalling how he wanted to touch Bachchan's feet at their first meeting.
"The first time when I went to meet Amitabh sir, I was going to touch his feet and he said, 'Don't do it, if you do it, I will do it too'. I said, 'Sir, please.'" "I can't even think," Prabhas said at a promotional event for "Kalki 2898 AD" here last night, which was hosted by his actor friend Rana Daggubati.
According to Prabhas, Bachchan, 81, was the first actor to achieve widespread popularity across India.
"We grew up watching him (his films). One of my uncles had his hairstyle (like Bachchan). He is the first actor who reached all parts of the country: north, south, Telugu, Tamil, everywhere. We saw "In men with Amitabh Bachchan's hairstyle (everywhere around us), anyone tall was referred to as Amitabh Bachchan," he said.
Prabhas shared that when he was a child, he and his cousins used to imitate Haasan, another actor whose popularity has remained over the decades.
“When Kamal sir's 'Sagara Sangamam' came, I asked my mother to buy the (same) dress, my cousin would put a cloth on his belly and act like him (Haasan), and I am working with them, it is amazing. .”
Prabhas said that he always wanted to work with Deepika.
"There are some actors who can go as far internationally (as she does). She is beautiful, beautiful, a superstar and a great actress. It's beautiful to work with her," he said of her co-star.
Padukone, who is expecting his first child, said Prabhas took good care of everyone on the set.
"I am like this because of all the food he has given me. Every day, at one point, it was as if the food not only came from his house, but it was like a complete catering service. The highlight of the day almost became 'What is Prabha feeding everyone? Those who know him well know that he feeds from the heart,' he said.
In "Kalki 2898 AD", Padukone plays the role of an expectant mother named Sumathi.
The actress said she was amazed by the director's passion for the film when he narrated the script during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's like nothing we've ever experienced or seen before. I remember doing the narration for this film through COVID-19, Nagi was on Zoom and I was on the other end and I think, like Mr. Kamal said, it was "They could see sparks of genius in him even though it's only his second or third film."
When Daggubati asked Padukone if Ashwin pushed her into method acting, the actor, who is pregnant in real life, quipped, "The film was three years long, so I thought why not do it for a few more months?"
He added that he had the “most amazing and learning experience” while working on “Kalki 2898 AD,” which hits theaters on June 27.
"It has been an incredible experience and a learning experience. It was a completely new world. The magic that is in Nagi's head, all of us actors discovered it along the way and it is finally here for everyone to see. It has been an experience incredible both personally and professionally."
The actor thanked producer Aswini Dutt and director Nag Ashwin for giving him the opportunity to work with “great legends” like Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in the futuristic drama that also stars Deepika Padukone in the lead role.
"It's like a dream," said the “Baahubali” star, recalling how he wanted to touch Bachchan's feet at their first meeting.
"The first time when I went to meet Amitabh sir, I was going to touch his feet and he said, 'Don't do it, if you do it, I will do it too'. I said, 'Sir, please.'" "I can't even think," Prabhas said at a promotional event for "Kalki 2898 AD" here last night, which was hosted by his actor friend Rana Daggubati.
According to Prabhas, Bachchan, 81, was the first actor to achieve widespread popularity across India.
"We grew up watching him (his films). One of my uncles had his hairstyle (like Bachchan). He is the first actor who reached all parts of the country: north, south, Telugu, Tamil, everywhere. We saw "In men with Amitabh Bachchan's hairstyle (everywhere around us), anyone tall was referred to as Amitabh Bachchan," he said.
Prabhas shared that when he was a child, he and his cousins used to imitate Haasan, another actor whose popularity has remained over the decades.
“When Kamal sir's 'Sagara Sangamam' came, I asked my mother to buy the (same) dress, my cousin would put a cloth on his belly and act like him (Haasan), and I am working with them, it is amazing. .”
Prabhas said that he always wanted to work with Deepika.
"There are some actors who can go as far internationally (as she does). She is beautiful, beautiful, a superstar and a great actress. It's beautiful to work with her," he said of her co-star.
Padukone, who is expecting his first child, said Prabhas took good care of everyone on the set.
"I am like this because of all the food he has given me. Every day, at one point, it was as if the food not only came from his house, but it was like a complete catering service. The highlight of the day almost became 'What is Prabha feeding everyone? Those who know him well know that he feeds from the heart,' he said.
In "Kalki 2898 AD", Padukone plays the role of an expectant mother named Sumathi.
The actress said she was amazed by the director's passion for the film when he narrated the script during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's like nothing we've ever experienced or seen before. I remember doing the narration for this film through COVID-19, Nagi was on Zoom and I was on the other end and I think, like Mr. Kamal said, it was "They could see sparks of genius in him even though it's only his second or third film."
When Daggubati asked Padukone if Ashwin pushed her into method acting, the actor, who is pregnant in real life, quipped, "The film was three years long, so I thought why not do it for a few more months?"
He added that he had the “most amazing and learning experience” while working on “Kalki 2898 AD,” which hits theaters on June 27.
"It has been an incredible experience and a learning experience. It was a completely new world. The magic that is in Nagi's head, all of us actors discovered it along the way and it is finally here for everyone to see. It has been an experience incredible both personally and professionally."
