Prakash Raj

People know me as Prakash Rai in Karnataka. Let it be so. But I'm known as Prakash Raj to the rest of India and abroad. Every actor worth his salt gets a name after coming to films.

I do not subscribe to the idea of actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Pawan Kalyan, and Upendra launching political outfits just because they are actors, though I am a fan of all these stars.

In the Constitution, there is no idea of a political party. It is representatives of every constituency because it is so vibrant and varied.

Everybody has their manifesto; let them talk their language, come to the people, and the people will decide. In a democracy, no party or candidate wins or loses. If you, the people, chose a wrong man, you lose; if you chose the right one, you win.

I am opposed to the idea of dubbing films into Kannada.

When an actor ventures into politics, I want to know, what is his manifesto, how would he understand problems being faced by people like me. If I am convinced, my vote will go in favour of him and his party.

I have been a politically conscious citizen. I've been an artist, a reader, and have been chiselled by that.

I'm responsible for what I say, and that is the identity for Prakash Raj.

Acting is a passion, but I have been taking time off to direct once in a while because it helps me reinvent myself.

My problem is I live with only women - be it my mother, wife, daughters, cook, and nurse - who are all drama queens, ranging from the age of 8 to 75, all wanting a slice of me. But it's mind-blowing to have these women in my life.

A job is a person's identity in a society, his way of living, and his relevance in society.

There is a certain joy in telling a story, and it gives me great pleasure to be a part of the process from scratch and say it the way I want to.