Choreographer-actor-director Prabhu Deva, who shifted bag and baggage to Bollywood after he struck gold directing Hindi movies, is back to doing what he does best. He is playing the role of a dancer in the Tamil version of ABCD — Aadalaam Boys Chinnadha Dance. Touted to be India’s first ever 3D dance film, ABCD — Anybody Can Dance is directed by ace choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D’Souza.
“I am thrilled and excited,” said Prabhu, who is adept at various styles of dance, including Western, contemporary, ballroom, hip-hop to Indian classical forms like kathak, Indian folk and even local street dance.
It’s the first time that the actor has dubbed his own voice for the Hindi version of the film. “Though I am not fluent in Hindi, I wanted to give it a shot to give that extra edge to the character I play.” He had help from a sound engineer friend. “I have spoken so much in Hindi. It was a superb experience,” he said.
Since Prabhu is busy with his other commitments including his directorial venture, Ramaiya Vastavaiya, he will undertake the overseas promotion of ABCD with the help of a hologram. The buzz is that Prabhu will be talking to the media in Dubai, while his hologram will be projected at events in London, New York and Toronto.
“It is a huge innovation for the film. A 3D hologram projection is a perfect fit for the promotions as ABCD is also India’s first 3D dance film,” Remo had earlier stated.
Produced by UTV, the movie features Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya, Salman Yusuff Khan of Dance India Dance fame, Lauren Gottlieb, Dharmesh Yelande and Kay Kay Menon.
Team ABCD may also be performing at the Maha Kumbh mela, the Hindu festival celebrated once every three years at one of four locations in India, and currently on at Allahabad.
It’s been billed as ‘the biggest gathering on Earth’. To get a captive audience there is ambitious.