South star Prithviraj on his formula for success and working with Rani Mukerji in his Bollywood debut film 'Aiyyaa'

Though he isn't fond of the word 'superstar', Prithviraj's filmography has assured him the exact status in South Indian cinema.

Recommended by Anurag Kashyap, the 29-year-old actor is finally making his Bollywood debut opposite Rani Mukerji and has already started shooting for his second Hindi film. The actor talks about the Hindi film industry, language barrier, his favourites and much more.

We heard you are not great at Hindi...
I must admit I'm not a very fluent speaker of the language but I can converse easily. I'm not so confident about my grammar though. Having said that, I can understand what others are saying in Hindi and I can make them understand what I want to.

South stars are getting fitter by the day!
I'm not the only actor from South to sport a toned body. Let's just say that the new generation is certainly more health conscious. Furthermore, I strongly believe that my USP is not my six-pack abs but my acting skills. My physique can merely enhance the character I'm portraying on the big screen.


Will you make Mumbai your home?
(Laughs) I won't say I'm shifting base to Mumbai. I don't have a house of my own here yet. The quest is to do good cinema as Bollywood is going through an interesting phase and I'm more than happy to be part of it.

Didn't you feel awkward dancing in this film?
On the contrary, I enjoyed every single step! It was fun to be this fantasy guy whom Rani Mukerji's character desires.

Were you intimidated by Rani's presence on the sets?
No, not at all, she is the most inclusive person I've ever worked with. I'm not saying this because I've done a film with her. Besides, I'm a huge fan of hers and now that I've worked with her, I can add I'm her greatest fan alive.

Who are your role models in acting?
I've always idolised Mohanlal and Mammootty. You can call me old-fashioned but I feel Amitabh Bachchan is the finest actor in the country. I aspire to be like Aamir Khan. He has reached that point where if he says yes to a script, the film has to work.


Is Bollywood any different from the South film industry?
I've noticed that Bollywood doesn't work on a deadline and allows improvisation. South cinema tends to function on a tighter schedule because it follows a slightly different equation there. Like one has to book theatres in advance and stuff like that.