New Delhi : He brought action and Southern flavour back in Bollywood with “Wanted” in 2009 but dancing star-turned-director Prabhu Deva, whose next film “Rowdy Rathore” is set to release this June, says he is still a newcomer in Bollywood.
“Wanted” was Prabhu Deva's Hindi directorial debut. Besides breaking many box office records and giving Salman Khan's career a much-needed hit, the film sparked off a trend of remaking films from down South in Bollywood.
“I am a newcomer in Bollywood. Everytime I work with an actor, it becomes the first time for me.
‘Rowdy Rathore' is my second film in Hindi. There is the same pressure about this film's performance at the box office,” Prabhu told PTI. For his second Hindi film, Prabhu Deva was approached by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who wanted the director to make a typical “masala” film.
“Sanjay sir came to Chennai and told me he wanted to make a masala film. He is more commercial a filmmaker than me and the idea of Rowdy Rathore was his.
As a director we all respect him. When he said he wanted me to direct the film, I consented,” said the 39-year-old actor-director. Even though the film was Bhansali's idea, Prabhu Deva says the prolific filmmaker did not interfere in his direction.
“He didn't interfere later during the shoot. He was keen on me being comfortable as a director. He only said ‘whatever you need from me as a producer just let me know'. He came for the mahurat then he didn't come for the shoot at all.”