By Subhash K Jha

It's Goodbye to Chennai for Prabhu Deva. Plate so full with direction, choreography and yes, acting-he's next going to star in a musical with Madhuri Dixit-- in Bollywood that the selfconfessed workaholic has decided to make Mumbai his permanent residence.

A huge leap in priorities for Prabhu, since until recently he ruled the Tamil and Telugu film industry with little time for Bollywood.

`In fact I used to come here only for Boney Kapoor to do a song or two in his films. Now I am here in Mumbai and very aptly, I stay in a residence owned by him. So life has come a full circle. Yes, I am in Mumbai permanently now, `reveals Prabhu.

Apparently Prabhu's decision to shift base has not gone down well with his Tamil and Telugu producers who feel he has betrayed his interests.

A senior highly respected Tamil actor says, `This kind of migration apparently for a wider market always irks the South Indian film industry. It makes them feel exploited. `

But Prabhu is clear about his priorities. `I've spent so many years working in Chennai. Now let me concentrate on Hindi cinema for a while. It's not as if I've cut ties with Chennai. My children still study there and I am constantly flying between the two cities Mumbai and Chennai. But yes, as far as work is concerned it's fully Mumbai for me. `

Prabhu is currently directing Tips' owner Kumar Taurani's son Girish launch vehicle Ramaiyya Vasta Vaiya.

Says Prabhu, `I wrap up Ramaiyya Vasta Vaiya in January and go straight into Namak with Shahid Kapoor. Then there is a film with Salmanbhai. `

Prabhu has also wrapped up a film as an actor ABCD which is partly based on his own life.

With one film as a director to complete, and two more waiting his attention with a second acting assignment on the anvil Prabhu has no time for a personal life.


`Where is the space for a relationship? I hardly get time to visit my own children. If I had my way I'd relocate them in Mumbai. But I don't want to uproot them from their friends. I don't have any time for a girlfriend. Work is all I think about. Last week I got four days free. I rushed to see a friend in London who needed to see me. `

Dismissing all speculation on keeping tabs on his former girlfriend Nayanthara Prabhu says, `She is busy with her assignments in the South. I am busy in Mumbai. We now lead completely separate lives. `

In fact Prabhu is so busy that he's drastically cutting down on choreography, even in self-directed films. `I can't do both direction and choreography. I will choreograph only when it's unavoidable. If Boney Kapoor asks me I can't say no. `