CHENNAI: For GV Prakash, 2026 has been a year of milestones.
With Vishwanath and Sons and Irumudi crossing the Rs 100-crore mark, along with the National Award, the composer-actor has plenty to celebrate.
He is now looking forward to Immortal, a vampire film that he calls his experiment with a new genre in Tamil cinema.
Speaking about balancing his commitments as an actor and music composer, Prakash says planning helps him stay on track.
“I plan properly for the next 60 days. If you ask me what I am going to do next month, I can tell you exactly what I will be doing,” he says.
The National Award has a deeper emotional significance for him. Referring to AR Rahman’s observation that the honour marks the family’s 10th National Award, Prakash says the achievement fulfils a long-standing dream.
“This was my grandfather’s wish and ambition. Unfortunately, he passed away due to cancer. My uncle has achieved a lot, and I am happy that I have been able to achieve this in the same lineage,” he says.
With Immortal, GV Prakash is entering an unfamiliar territory. “It is my experiment in a new genre a vampire film and the first of its kind in Tamil cinema,” he says.
The film was completed before the release of the Malayalam film Lokah, but its extensive computer-generated imagery work delayed its release.
Describing Immortal as a fantasy, mystery and survival thriller, he says the film revolves around a man who has lived for 4,000 years. The story moves across prehistoric times, tribal life and the present, with a major flashback forming part of the narrative. “It is an interesting film which will excite everyone,” he says.
The film also features Kayadu Lohar, who has become a familiar name among Tamil audiences. Prakash reveals that the film will offer audiences a different version of the actor.
“We were halfway through the shooting when Kayadu signed Dragon. So you will see a fresh and different Kayadu in this film,” he shares.
On working with composer Sam CS, he says he gave only minimal input, mainly suggesting where the film needed stronger scare moments.
GV Prakash has also managed to work across films of different scales, from smaller projects to big-star productions.
He credits legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja for inspiring this approach.
“Whether it is a small hero or a big star, or whatever kind of film it is, Ilaiyaraaja sir was the same with everyone. He treated every film equally. MSV sir was also like that. I grew up watching them, so I follow the same approach,” he says, adding that he tries to give his best whether the film is Kaaka Muttai, Visaranai or a commercial film like Youth.
GV Prakash is also continuing to explore acting. His upcoming Mental Manathil, directed by Selvaraghavan, is 80 per cent complete, with a seven-day Chennai schedule remaining.
He describes the film as a love story with an unusual combination of influences “like a product of what happens when Imtiaz Ali meets Yaaradi Nee Mohini.”
His association with Telugu cinema is also expanding. He points to Lucky Baskhar and Irumudi as significant successes and says he has several Telugu projects lined up, including two with Dulquer Salmaan and one with Anil Ravipudi.
Reflecting on Kingston, his previous experiment with the pirate genre, Prakash admits that the dialogue and screenplay did not work despite the strength of the concept. “In Immortal, we have worked well on the dialogue and screenplay,” he says.
On the growing use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking and music, Prakash believes it should remain a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. He admits to using AI during the process of creating music, particularly to demonstrate a female vocal scratch to a producer, but says he would not use an AI-generated voice as the final product.
GV Prakash also says he continues to speak up on social issues, including recent honour killings, but prefers to do so without political backing. “I still voice out when injustice happens. But when political parties take ownership of certain incidents, it does not work for me,” he says.
For now, his focus is on Immortal, a film that he believes will offer audiences something unfamiliar. “We spent a year working on the creature. It is a survival thriller with some romance, and it will give audiences a new visual and a new experience,” he concludes.