'Isn't it easy after becoming an actor?' Prithviraj who made his acting debut through Nandanam had a bigger 'dream'

Prithviraj's rise to fame began with the superhit film Nandanam, which endeared him to Malayali audiences. Since then, he has portrayed a wide range of remarkable roles in Malayalam cinema. Later, he became a director through Lucifer, starring Mohanlal, and today, Prithviraj is recognised as a prominent talent across India. With the second part of Lucifer crossing the Rs 200 crore mark, his career graph has soared beyond expectations.

Now, cinematographer N. Alagappan, who worked with Prithviraj in several films, including Nandanam, has revealed that he recognised the director within Prithviraj right from his debut. Alagappan noted that Prithviraj’s keen eye for detail and strong observational skills during the filming of Nandanam were early indicators of his directorial talent. He spoke about this in the Safari TV program Charithram Enniloode.

Alagappan's words

“Right from the first shot of Nandanam, we had confidence in Prithviraj. During every scene and on every visit to the location, Prithvi would never just stand aside. If he did, it meant he was observing everything—what the cameraman was doing, what the art director was arranging. He watched everything with attention.

One day, after the shoot, I visited his room and asked, ‘Prithvi, how are you feeling about all this?’ He replied, ‘I’m enjoying it.’ Then I asked if he had an interest in direction. He asked me why I was asking that, and I told him that I noticed how keenly he observed everything.

That’s when he told me he had a strong interest in directing films. He asked, ‘Isn’t it easier to become a director after being an actor?’ I always believed he would become a great actor. Since then, on every project we worked on together, I would closely watch him. He is an actor with sharp observational skills.”