Kalaimamani
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (2015) Winner
Prabhu Deva
プラブ・デーヴァ
Prabhu Deva
Aliases:
Prabhudeva / Prabhu Dheva
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1973-04-03 （Mysore, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India）
- Nationality
- Indian
- Languages
- Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam
- Religion
- Hinduism
- Residence History
- Mysore, India → Mumbai, India → Singapore (Prabhu Deva's Dance Academy)
Career
- Occupations
- actor, film director, dancer, choreographer, producer
- Active Years
- 1991-2025
- Affiliations
- Prabhu Deva's Dance Academy (Singapore)
- Influenced By
- Mugur Sundar (father, choreographer), Dharmaraj (Bharatanatyam teacher), Udupi Lakshminarayanan (Bharatanatyam teacher), Michael Jackson (influence)
- Influenced
- Raju Sundaram (choreographer, brother), Remo D'Souza (choreographer/director), Raghava Lawrence (choreographer/actor)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Nandi Award (Best Choreography) | Rakshana | Best Choreography | Government of Andhra Pradesh (Nandi Awards) | 受賞 |
| 1996 | National Film Award for Best Choreography | Minsara Kanavu | Best Choreography | Directorate of Film Festivals | 受賞 |
| 2004 | National Film Award for Best Choreography | Lakshya | Best Choreography | Directorate of Film Festivals | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Filmfare Awards South | Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana | — | Filmfare (South) | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Vijay Awards | Pokkiri | Favourite Director | Vijay TV | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Zee Cine Awards Tamil (Best Choreography) | Maari 2 | Best Choreography | Zee Entertainment Enterprises | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Kalaimamani Award | — | — | Government of Tamil Nadu | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Padma Shri | — | 芸術（ダンス） | Government of India | 受賞 |
Nandi Award (Best Choreography)
1994
Work:
Rakshana
Category:
Best Choreography
Organization:
Government of Andhra Pradesh (Nandi Awards)
Result:
受賞
National Film Award for Best Choreography
1996
Work:
Minsara Kanavu
Category:
Best Choreography
Organization:
Directorate of Film Festivals
Result:
受賞
National Film Award for Best Choreography
2004
Work:
Lakshya
Category:
Best Choreography
Organization:
Directorate of Film Festivals
Result:
受賞
Filmfare Awards South
2005
Work:
Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana
Organization:
Filmfare (South)
Result:
受賞
Vijay Awards
2007
Work:
Pokkiri
Category:
Favourite Director
Organization:
Vijay TV
Result:
受賞
Zee Cine Awards Tamil (Best Choreography)
2018
Work:
Maari 2
Category:
Best Choreography
Organization:
Zee Entertainment Enterprises
Result:
受賞
Kalaimamani Award
2015
Organization:
Government of Tamil Nadu
Result:
受賞
Padma Shri
2019
Category:
芸術（ダンス）
Organization:
Government of India
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kaadhalan
1994 Romantic action filmA 1994 romantic action film that showcased Prabhu Deva's dancing and choreography; songs like "Mukkabla" and "Urvasi Urvasi" became widely popular.
danceromanceyouth rebellion
Minsara Kanavu
1997 Romantic musical filmA 1997 romantic musical in which Prabhu Deva starred; its songs and choreography were acclaimed—he won a National Film Award for choreography on sequences such as "Vennilave".
musicdanceromance
Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana
2005 Romantic drama filmA 2005 Telugu romantic drama that marked a successful directorial venture for Prabhu Deva, becoming commercially successful and boosting his reputation as a director.
rural lifefamilylove story
Wanted
2009 Action filmA 2009 Hindi action film directed by Prabhu Deva; it combined dance and action in an entertaining format.
actiondancerevenge
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance
2013 Dance filmA 2013 Bollywood dance film centered on dance; Prabhu Deva played a significant role and was celebrated as a dance legend.
dancecompetitionself-expression
Lakshya
2004 DramaA 2004 Hindi drama film for which Prabhu Deva provided choreography; his work on the dance sequences was recognized with a National Film Award.
dancediscipline
Bibliography
- Kaadhalan (1994)
- Minsara Kanavu (1997)
- Pokkiri (director, 2007)
- Wanted (director, 2009)
- Rowdy Rathore (director, 2012)
- ABCD 2 (performer, 2015)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- rhythmic, dance-centric visual expressionsequence-oriented choreography emphasizing rhythmcommercial, entertainment-oriented cinematic style
- Recurring Motifs
- dancefamilyromancecomedy
Legacy
Prabhu Deva has had a major impact on Indian cinema as a choreographer, dancer, actor and director. Known for innovative choreography and striking dance sequences, he has won multiple National Film Awards and the Padma Shri. He is credited with popularizing dance-driven expressions in mainstream commercial films.
In Popular Culture
- Often referred to as the "Indian Michael Jackson"
- Performed at major events such as the IPL opening ceremony
- Choreography and dance sequences frequently become promotional highlights
Quotes
-
Regarded as the dance legend by many, Prabhu is, expectedly, incomparable in dances, but the good news is that he handles the dramatic scenes well too.
Source: Critic review (ABCD reviews, Bollywood Hungama) (2013) -
Prabhu Deva excels with his standout comic repartee.
Source: The Hindu (review of Urumi) (2011)
Trivia
- His father Mugur Sundar is a prominent South Indian choreographer.
- Runs a dance academy in Singapore (Prabhu Deva's Dance Academy).
- Awarded the Padma Shri in 2019 for contributions to art and dance.
- Built an acting career from the 1990s and later achieved success as a director.
- Played a police officer for the first time in Pon Manickavel (2021), counted as his 50th acting credit.
- Has worked across multiple Indian film industries and languages (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, etc.).