Actor Prasanna is charting an entirely new course in his life, setting his sights beyond cinema to pursue two long-cherished ambitions: earning a commercial pilot’s licence and building expertise in artificial intelligence. The actor says the spark to finally act on these dreams came from none other than Ajith Kumar.
Speaking in an interaction with IANS, Prasanna shared that the year ahead marks a turning point for him. “This year is going to be very different for me. I have dug out two of the wishes that have been on my bucket list for a long time and am realising them,” he said.
One of those dreams dates back to his school days. Prasanna revealed that flying had always fascinated him, but acting eventually took centre stage. “It was my dream to become a pilot when I was in school. After I got serious about acting, that ambition slowly took a back seat. Now I feel I’ve been given another chance to pursue it,” he explained.
He hopes that by this time next year, he will have completed flight school and secured his commercial pilot licence. Expressing gratitude, Prasanna said Ajith Kumar played a key role in changing his perspective. “I have to thank Ajith sir. Even while being a committed actor, he shows that it’s possible to find time for your passions. That really stayed with me.”
The actor worked alongside Ajith Kumar in Good Bad Ugly, and it was during the shoot that he found himself deeply inspired. “What struck me most was the dedication Ajith sir brings to motor racing. The time, effort and sheer passion he invests into it made me realise that I don’t have to restrict myself only to acting,” Prasanna said.
Alongside aviation, Prasanna is also immersing himself in the world of technology. His interest in artificial intelligence began during the Covid period, when he felt the need to equip himself with skills beyond cinema. “Since Covid, I wanted to study something that would make me more than just an actor. I started reading about AI at a surface level, and that curiosity kept growing,” he noted.
Admitting to initial hesitation about returning to academics after two decades, he added, “It’s been nearly 20 years since I left college, so I was unsure if I could cope or if I’d have to start from scratch. But a couple of orientation classes put me at ease.”
Prasanna has now been studying cloud computing and AI for about a month and a half and has ambitious plans ahead. “I’m preparing to take multiple certifications, including AWS by Amazon. After that, I’m planning to pursue Azure as well,” he said.