Tamil Star Vikram Prabhu, A Most Unlikely Nepo Kid

It must be hard to trade places with Vikram Prabhu, Kollywood’s heir to an illustrious film family. Whatever he achieves is sure to be overshadowed by his legendary grandfather, Thespian Shivaji Ganesan and his popular father, actor Prabhu. Maybe that’s why he went off to America as a youngster to find and immerse himself in a totally new, almost alien career path. To this day, Tamil cinema has not replicated an actor of Simha kuralon (Lion’s voice) Shivaji Ganesan’s talent…every role etched in the audience memory, a complete one-man acting university. His son Prabhu never tried to fit into his father’s legacy …he just carved himself a space, popular and acclaimed, never mind the role nor his persona. Vikram Prabhu is all set for the screening of his 25th film, Sirai (prison). It’s aptly titled even as this Nepo kid has established a name for himself, but trying his best to break out of that DNA prison, and set his own Star Trek. His first film Khumki was well received in 2012. Vikram Prabhu is a low key person…not stepping out of that spotlight that made his grandfather a cinematic legend. He still remembers his grandfather bellowing across a transcontinental line “Are you still an Indian or have you turned into an American?”. Today, Kollywood has a sudden exodus of super stars like Vijay and Ajith…Kamal and Rajini finding it challenging to please Gen Z , and Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan trying to fill the void. Vikram Prabhu has the right DNA .. if only he could prise himself out of the wall he has built around himself.