GV Prakash Kumar on ‘Happy Raj’: I am returning to my ‘Trisha Illana Nayanthara’ zone

In 2015, music composer GV Prakash Kumar made his debut as a lead actor in the horror-comedy Darling and followed it with the adult comedy Trisha Illana Nayanthara. The Prakash we saw in these films was animated and eruptive, in contrast to the timid, soft-spoken composer audiences had known. “Then I abandoned that scale of acting, and I started doing serious films. Comedy is a very risky zone. Which is why many films will either be a blast or a dud; there’s no two ways about it. That is why I had stayed away from it for so long,” says Prakash.

And now, after more than 10 years since Trisha Illana Nayanthara, Prakash seems to be returning to that zone in the upcoming comedy-drama, Happy Raj, directed by debutant Maria Raja Elanchezhian. “I watched Trisha Illana Nayanthara when I was in college, and the vibe of that film, start to end, was quite something. So I wanted to bring him back in that zone, but in a more family-friendly story,” says Maria. Happy Raj’s trailer promises a riotous comedy surrounding the titular character’s romantic escapades and a one-of-a-kind equation with his father, played by George Maryan.

Prakash chips in to mention how many, like Pradeep Ranganathan, whom Maria assisted, have been fans of Trisha Illana Nayanthara. “In fact, Pradeep narrated Comali to me after watching that film. I had even suggested a couple of corrections. We were supposed to do that film, but that didn’t fall through. But Pradeep has been in touch with me ever since. Then we had films like Love Today, and Vignesh Shivan did Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal; Trisha Illana Nayanthara has inspired many such films. And now, Maria has taken the energy of that film and has done a jolly, family-friendly movie,” says the actor.

Music composer and actor GV Prakash during an interaction at The Hindu office in Chennai on Wednesday, 05/11/2025
| Photo Credit:
Shivaraj s

As comedy is a risky zone, Prakash was initially sceptical about Maria’s script. “He had worked out the humour quite well, but I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, and so I asked him to shoot a few scenes. He took some of his friends and shot a few scenes on his mobile phone, and it turned out to be phenomenal,” he says, adding that the writer-director has struck a great balance between emotions and humour. “Audiences will get to see me in a brighter zone again, but at the same time, they will also see and relate to the emotions.”

Everything Prakash and Maria say might paint the image of an over-the-top protagonist, but Happy Raj, Prakash stresses, is an introverted character whose situations force him to reach a certain way. “Moreover, we have only shown the high moments in the trailer. He is an introvert who sometimes laments. He’s a bit timid, and he can’t approach something head-on; he would run away if we put him in a difficult situation.”

The actor adds that the audience will have a pivotal takeaway at the end of the film. “It’s a film dedicated to every single father. It’s a coming-of-age story of a father and a son. It’s about how they understand life in their own ways.”

Having a multihyphenate like Prakash has certainly helped Maria in making his debut film. “Being a composer, he knows the beat of the scenes. Whenever he finishes shooting a good scene, he would say, ‘This is a hit. Mark this scene for promos.’ He knows the pulse of the audience.”

In Happy Raj, the casting of television personality and YouTuber Adhirchi Arun has turned quite a few heads — in fact, most of the comments under the trailer of the film are about this casting. Of late, it has become a trend to cast influencers and internet personalities in films to help promotions, but Maria says that wasn’t the case with Arun. “We were searching for someone to play this role, and Arun comes with a lot of energy. This is why we cast him. In fact, he joined our film more than one and a half years ago, before he found a break as a YouTuber,” says Maria.

Sri Gouri Priya and GV Prakash Kumar in a still from ‘Happy Raj’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Speaking of promotions, last month, we had another GV Prakash release, Lucky The Superstar, which passed without notice. Happy Raj, meanwhile, has managed to generate some pre-release buzz. Is there a formula for a successful promotional campaign for a film? Prakash says that one can never predict whether the promotions will work. “Beyond all publicity, it depends on the quality of the film. If you have good promotions, you will get a good opening. But if you have a good film, it will become its own promotion,” he adds.

Of late, music composers from AR Rahman and Anirudh Ravichander to Yuvan Shankar Raja and Hiphop Tamizha have resorted to a unique promotional tactic — they star as themselves in funny promotional videos of their films’ singles, mostly alongside the director and the hero. Prakash, who was recently seen in the hilarious promos of Ken Karunaas’ Youth, says that we need such promos because the attention span of audiences has declined. “We need to capture the audience with something, and such creative ideas help. It’s good that more composers and directors are opening up, leaving their inhibitions aside and performing on promos.” He mentions how he had to make composer Justin Prabhakar, who was merely visiting the sets, shake a leg in the promo of ‘Aadiney Irupen’. “It helps the audience check out how the team is, the vibe of the song and the film, and when they see that excitement, they relate to the film and decide to watch it.”

This year, Prakash celebrates completing 20 years as a music composer; his debut film Veyil was released in 2006. The composer says that in all these years, the joy of creating hasn’t faded one bit. “It’s akin to a child getting a new toy. That joy will never fade. My problem has always been in the pressure that surrounds it. If you build a brand and create a lot of expectations around it, there will be a lot of pressure. Back when I started, there were no expectations, and so I focussed on the music.” But now there are stars, critics, social media comments, and more that occupy his mind, he says. “All that said, at the end of the day, when I create something, that magic is always there,” adds the composer.

He credits his soulful melodies as the reason for his longevity as a composer. “Just a few days back, someone shared a video in which a woman approaches a foreigner playing a piano and asks him to play ‘En Jeevan,’ which she says is her favourite song. It’s been 10 years since that song was released. So to know that your song is still playing in the same vibe is something very precious,” he says.

On the acting side, Prakash will be seen next in Selvaraghavan’s Mental Manadhil. “It’s more of a Yaaradi Nee Mohini meeting a quintessential Bollywood rom-com. It has joyful writing by Selvaraghavan, some emotional scenes, and is an interesting musical.”

Abbas, GV Prakash Kumar and Sri Gouri Priya in a still from ‘Happy Raj’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

If one glances at Prakash’s Wikipedia page, they might be shocked to see a long list of delayed projects, like Adangathey, Aayiram Jenmangal, and Idimuzhakkam, which are waiting for a release.

Prakash says there’s no answer to why this became the case. “Even the greatest of stars like Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar have a list of delayed or shelved films. In fact, when we started Happy Raj, which is directed and produced by newcomers, I told them ‘See, please don’t waste my time. Somehow complete the shoot.’ They asked me not to worry and that they would finish shooting the film, and they did that. So we can’t predict.” Can we at least expect Seenu Ramasamy’s Idimuzhakkam to finally release? “I don’t know if it will see the light of day,” signs off Prakash.

Happy Raj releases in theatres on March 27