Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran is celebrating his 40th birthday today. In a career spanning over 20 years, he has more than 100 films to his credit as an actor. He’s also building a formidable resume as a producer. Most of the films that he backed through his home banner Prithviraj Productions were successful both critically and commercially – Driving Licence, Kuruthi and Jana Gana Mana to name a few. And the star also proudly wears the hat of a successful mainstream director, thanks to Lucifer, which became Malayalam cinema’s first film to earn Rs 200 crore at the worldwide box office.
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Besides his prolific portfolio as a filmmaker and actor, Prithviraj’s other standout feature of his star status is his unapologetic nature. For the uninitiated, Prithviraj faced a sustained negative campaign in the early days of his career because he was presumed to be arrogant.
Prithviraj, however, has never let others troll him into submission. “I have always returned the respect at places that I have received. At the same time, I don’t give respect more than necessary. I didn’t start behaving like this or walking like that after becoming an actor. I have been like this since I was young,” he had said in an interview when questions were raised about his attitude.
“When I first came to the film industry, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I was called an introvert and that later I became arrogant and now I’m celebrated as courageous,” he added.
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Prithviraj also never hesitates to speak his mind. Sample this: he had once revealed his strong opinion on the idea of religion. “There is a concept that I have zero percent belief in… That is religion. Religion was used to make a social structure in medieval times. First, the social structure was based on the economy – the rich and the poor. Then that division came from one’s occupation like Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The concept of religion is also one such social structure. Of course, such social structures have helped the world to function. Beyond its utility purpose, I don’t believe in the concept of religion at all,” he had said.
And Prithviraj is aware that at times his bluntness would put him in a tight spot considering he’s a popular star. But, he is willing to face the consequences by being himself, instead of being dishonest to himself and others.
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“My personality is a byproduct of my past experiences, and the knowledge I have gathered through various means. I always believe that we should stay close to the real profile that we can maintain. Many ask me why I don’t smile when I see people outside. I know that I don’t smile at strangers. I have been in this industry for years, do you think that I don’t know that? And that’s my confusion. When I step out of here, if I want to smile at the crowd before getting inside the car, I can do it very wonderfully. I am an actor. But, that’s just not me. I don’t look at a stranger and smile. I have decided that I will be myself and I will also face the consequences that come from it,” he had said.
