Not many had the ability to effortlessly traverse across various ranges of the 'antagonist' spectrum - Dreaded, funny, satirical, etc... - breaking new ground in villainy. Well...Prakash Raj did
In his groundbreaking role as Major Madhavan in Aasai, Prakash almost seemed to ticking off each of the seven deadly sins. A no-holds-barred villain who had no bone of remorse in his body. Revelatory!In Appu, as Maharani, a transgender person, Prakash Raj exuded maliciousness as the vile pimp who jeopardises lives of innocent women. He walked the thin line avoiding making the role a caricature.There is no doubt that Muthupandi from Ghilli is one of the many peaks in Prakash Raj's career. He not only redefined villainy in Tamil cinema but became the rare antagonist who gained legions of fansNot all villains are evil. Prakash Raj is not your regular antagonist in Kadhal Sadugudu. But look at him sell the exhausting adamancy stemming out of misunderstandings. Exasperating but effectiveA misogynist. A chauvinist. A domestic abuser. Kalki's Prakash Raj is all this and much more. What happens when the tables are turned? Watch this performance for early signs of his brillianceA wonderful companion character to Muthupandi, Pokkiri's Ali Bhai is equal parts fun and destructive. Not many sell OTT as effectively as PRakash Raj and it was one of his most outlandish roles, yet.Singam's Mayilvaaganam completes the triumvirate of iconic OTT villains played by Prakash Raj. So dull were the villains in the sequels that many felt he shouldn't have been killed in the first filmIn a contest between a shrewd nobody and a shrewd Mr have-it-all, the ideal winner is the latter. But this is Tamil cinema. While PR does have fun in Thiruvilaiyadal Arambam, it is Dhanush who wins.It isn't easy to hold one's own around comedy geniuses like Nagesh, Kamal Haasan, and Crazy Mohan. But in Vasool Raja, Prakash Raj not only held his own but managed to make a mark too as Dr VishwanathPrakash Raj is anything but a conniving and poor excuse of an actor. But in Vellithirai, he embodies this and pulled off one of the better tricks up his sleeve. Play an actor who doesn't know to act.What about those roles that are not easy to classify as a hero or a villain? This is where Prakash Raj truly revelled. The roles that didn't put any label on him. The ones that gave him a free reinIn Anniyan, Prakash Raj as DCP PRabhakar had to go through as much a gamut of emotions as the protagonist. Anger, amazement, exhaustion, impatience, and even... sympathy, PR was brilliant, as always.Prakash Raj as Adhi Narayanan in Arinthum Ariyamalum was a well... sweet and quite a subtle character. Trying to be a doting dad and a dreaded don at the same time, PR is a hootIn Asuran, Prakash Raj plays Seshadri, a lawyer, and a privileged one at that. However, he is someone who realises that privilege and wants to use it to the advantage of the oppressed.How do you stay calm when the world around you is crumbling? How do you stay composed after surviving a murderous attack by your son? In CCV, PR as Senapathi is rock solid even as his ship is sinkingIn Iruvar, PR, as Tamizhselvan, breathes life into a character heavily inspired by you-know-who. Holding his ground against Mohanlal, PR delivered a masterclass that won him his first National AwardIn Kannathil Muththamittal, PR plays a Sinhalese doctor with an anti-war stance. Look at his eyes in that scene when Pasupathy and his men capture him. Pure gold. Also... Quality > Length of roleOne of the best reinventions of the typical Hero's friend who helps his love life succeed, Prakash Raj is wonderfully eccentric yet somehow, so very real as Viji in his own production, Mozhi.What is love? Will we ever fall out of love? What does it take to be so madly in love? PR as Ganapathi acts as the guiding light to the so-in-love but confused Adi and Tara in O Kadhal Kanmani.Even the best of intentions can go awry and hurt people. As Subramaniam in Santhosh Subramaniam, PR, with one of his worst hairdos, is wonderful as an over-burdening but still the father of the year.The worst punishment for a parent is to carry their child's coffins. PR, as Arokiya Raj, an aggrieving dad, brings a lot of gravitas to an extended cameo. Once again... Quality > Length of rolePrakash Raj played the lead in a number of films. However, it was anything but the average Tamil hero. In his own way, he reminded us that script was the true hero, and an actor just plays charactersAs a doting dad in Abhiyum Naanum, Prakash Raj was a wonderful sight. PR plays Raghuram, a warm father who balances care and concern with right amounts of progressiveness and trust on his daughter.In Dhoni, PR plays a parent who pushes his son to give his best and uplift himself from the doldrums of the middle-class. But it ends disastrously and makes him question the prevalent education systemIn his own directorial, Un Samayal Arayil, PR's Kalidasa bonds with Sneha's Gowri over their shared love of food. To be honest, a warm film that didn't quite get its due. Also, makes you hungryOne can safely say Prakash Raj reached his pinnacle in Priyadarshan's Kanchivaram. Just that climax scene is enough. WHAT A PERFORMER! A worthy winner of the National AwardIn Vidukathai, a grossly underrated film about the thin lines between love, care and something more, Prakash Raj's Neelakantan was a challenging role. But PR is too nuanced an actor to shy away from.