Prabhu Deva was first noticed when he made a brief appearance in a song in Gentleman. The dancing prowess he displayed in the song Chiku buku raile  made teenyboppers go crazy. Soon followed Kathalan  with him as hero. It was a hit even in its dubbed versions. He became a sensation overnight and came to be known as a boneless wonder. However, no film of his after Kathalan  has been able to make a mark at the box office. Though he was around as an actor for quite some time, his acting talents were not brought out until Ezhayin Siripil  where he played a poor bus coolie. James Pandu, which had him as a railway coolie, endeared him to the frontbenchers. Now he is banking on Pennin Manathe Thottu to do the trick. Indiainfo has a tête-à-tête with the dancing sensation.

Excerpts:

Are you deliberately taking up roles of a slum boy and coolie to attract a certain section of the audience?
Aiyo aiyo!  You make it appear to be as something very planned out. In fact, when I hear a story and can relate to it, I know that it's going to click. When I heard my role of an orphan boy whose innocence results in a girl losing her sanity and the boy sacrificing everything to make her normal, I felt I had a winner and that is how Ezhayin Siripil  was chosen. When I signed James Pandu, I was sure that teaming up with Partipan in this comedy film would bring the whole theatre down. Next is Pennin Manathe Thottu  which is a serious film; I want to prove that I am also capable of doing serious roles.

Okay tell me about your next serious subject?
It is about a down-to-earth medical student whose brother becomes a dada  due to circumstances. Once, when a classmate derides his brother, he loses control and beats him up. He then realises that muscle power too has its advantages. It's an interesting film that shows a relationship between brothers. Like all films, it also has a love story thrown in.

Of late, why are you seen in two-hero subjects?
Why not? Again don't accuse me of doing it deliberately. The stories demanded it and I accepted the roles. However, personally it has done me a lot of good. After James Pandu, I and Parthipan became good friends and after Pennin Manathe Thottu  Sarath has become a good friend of mine.

Who will be the real inheritor of your father's (dance master Sundaram) legacy, you or Raju?
We are both good dancers. But Raju is concentrating only on choreography whereas I am aiming to be a good actor. Both of us are trying to uphold the tradition.

How do you take the gossip that Raju and Simran are in love?
The gossip writers don't realise how it affects the lives of the persons they target. The family of the person gets disturbed and it in turn reflects on the artistes. Why not write about their films/career and leave it at that?

So you are not confirming or denying it.
Now you don't be a gossip writer.

You had once said that you like action more than dancing. That means you like bashing up ten guys alone?
According to an old saying, if a sadhu is provoked, the whole forest goes aflame. Same way, when a man is angry his strength is enormous (laughs). I know it's not true in real life.

What's your goal in life?
Dance with Jackson; be known as a good human being and as a nice actor.