‘Viruman’ to ‘Dhoni’: Films That Prove Prakash Raj Is Cinema's (Im)perfect Dad.

Here’s a look at eight films that are a testament to the unique Dad Prakash Raj is in South Indian cinema.

While there is no doubt that Prakash Raj is one of the best villains in Indian cinema who looks dangerous and venomous as a baddie on screen, there is something about him and his ‘dad’ roles.

From Responsible Dad, Overprotective Dad to a Toxic Dad, Prakash Raj has performed in roles that represent every kind of father in the parenting spectrum.

He was recently seen in Viruman as Karthi’s dad and was appreciated for his realistic acting. Earlier this year, he also bought the remake rights of Paresh Rawal's Gujarati emotional drama Dear Father centered around an old dad, who falls off a balcony. The film shows how the police investigation that follows soon entangles his son and daughter-law, bringing to light the bond they share with each other.

Here’s a look at eight films that serve as a testament to the unique Dad Prakash Raj is, in South Indian cinema.

Paava Kadhaigal (2020)

National award winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran’s Oor Iravu, one of the shorts from the Netflix anthology Paava Kadhaigal revolves around a dad (Prakash Raj) and his daughter (Sai Pallavi) who elopes with a guy from a different caste. Prakash Raj delivers a heart-wrenching performance as a father who has trouble accepting his daughter’s inter-caste marriage.

Kanchivaram (2008)

The story of Kanchivaram revolves around a poor silk weaver (Prakash Raj) and his dear dream to make his daughter wear a silk saree on her wedding day. With his exceptional performance in this Priyadarshan directorial, Prakash received the Best Actor award at the 55th National Film Awards.

Anantham (2022)

The part hyper-link, part anthology series Anantham features Prakash Raj as Venkatesan who spews hatred towards his homosexual son, but otherwise projects himself to the world as a progressive man. The series is directed by Priya V and streams on Zee 5.

Dhoni (2012)

Donning multiple hats as a producer, director and an actor, Prakash Raj appears as a single parent from a middle class background in this Tamil-Telugu bilingual Dhoni. The film shows how the father regrets killing his son’s passion for cricket, giving into the education system’s pressure on school kids.

Abhiyum Naanum (2008)

Directed by Radha Mohan, the story revolves around an overprotective father (Prakash Raj) who tries to grapple with his daughter's (Trisha) rebellions. The movie takes one on a fun yet emotional ride. Interestingly, before his role as Trisha’s dad in Abhiyum Naanum, in a contrast, Prakash had featured as a lustful antagonist tormenting Trisha in Vijay-starrer Ghilli which released in 2004.

Santhosh Subramaniam (2008)

Romantic comedy starring Jayam Ravi and Genelia Deshmukh, Santhosh Subramaniam is directed by Raja. The film features Prakash Raj as a controlling father who literally decides the color of the shirt his son should wear on any given day. The blockbuster hit was originally released in Telugu as Bommarillu (2004) with Siddharth in the lead.

M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi (2004)

M.Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi has Asin as the female lead. Post the demise of his single mother (Nadhiya), the son (Jayam Ravi) is forced to train under his father (Prakash Raj) who abandoned his family to pursue his boxing dream in a foreign country. It is a remake of the Telugu film Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi directed by Puri Jagannadh.

Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005)

Directed by Vishnuvardhan, Arinthum Ariyamalum is a one of a kind story about a dad-son relationship. Prakash Raj delivers a brilliant performance as a dad teaming up with his adopted son (Arya) to shower unconditional love on his biological son (Navdeep) who is hostile towards them. 'Thee Pidikka' in this album composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja topped the charts for a long time after its release.