I was a daily wage worker but I had the attitude of a hero: Prem Kumar

09/07/2026

On the cusp of his 25th year in the industry, Kannada actor Prem Kumar reminisces his old days and his first major break in the industry. "Nenapirali changed my life over two decades ago and made me a romantic hero. Now, I'm set to hit another milestone as the legendary Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in a historical film. My perspective on cinema has also changed and I'm looking forward to see where this takes me," he says.In an exclusive interview with Bangalore Times, he opened up about his early years as a daily wage worker, back-to-back hits in the Kannada film industry, getting bored of the romantic stereotype and taking on a new challenge as Kempegowda.
Excerpts:
'I have a struggler's story but I don't glorify it'
Like everyone else, I too have a struggler's story. But I don't believe inglorifying it. In the early years, my only aim was to get my family out of the economic crisis. So when the offer to do films came my way, all I cared about was the money and the opportunity to fend for my family. Even while I was a daily wage worker, my attitude was that of a hero. People would complain to my father. They would say, 'Yenayya nin maga dodda hero tarah aadtane.' ('Your son acts as though he's some hero'). Looking back, I can see that I manifested it all. It's only after Nenapirali that I realisedbeing in cinema meant so much more: good scripts, handling fans, stardom and constantly upping my game.
'I got bored of being the typical romantic hero'
I remember having back-to-back hits in Nenapirali, Jothe Jotheyali and Pallakki led to the moniker Lovely Star. Then on, the audience only wanted to see me in romantic roles. I catered to that demand for as long as I could. But at one point, I got tired of doing those roles. I was seeking a change, but nothing good came my way. I've been ready for a change of image for a long time and am glad that at the cusp of my 25th year, another milestone has come my way with a film like Kempambudhi. Ramesh Begar, our director, has envisioned it so beautifully.
'Bengaluru has a lot to learn from Kempegowda's vision'
Just ahead of the film, I visited Kempegowda's grave in Magadi and sought his blessings. The grave is in shambles and I had to clean it. It's a pity that the founder of our city lies in a nondescript part of Bengaluru in such a pathetic state. Modern Bengaluru has a lot to learn from Kempegowda's vision and administration. As I delved deeper into Kempegowda's story, I discovered how he had interlinked all the rivers and tank beds 300 feet below the ground so that water was evenly distributed through the city. Even our modern engineers haven't been able to execute such flawless work despite today's technological advancements.
'Kempegowda championed women's empowerment'
Kempegowda championed women's empowerment and introduced trading hubs for each community to ensure there was no in-fighting. He also promoted social harmony. The trees and greenery went on to become the highlight of Bengaluru. He prioritised farmers and their welfare. But beyond it all, he was a family man whorespected women and championed their rights and freedom.
'I've become a strong advocate of protecting our water bodies'
Today when I see the garbage strewn around our city, it hurts to see that the Garden City reeks of dirt and piles of trash. Kempegowda worked so hard to honour our lakes, rivers and tanks, yet we have dumped dirt and destroyed our lakes with utter disregard.
This city is spoken of in glowing terms around the world, but have we truly loved and respected it as it should be?
My only request to fellow Bengalureans is to keep our city clean and help revive our lost lakes. That would be a great way to honour the founder of Bengaluru.

Photo Gallery

BSE Sensex

NSE Nifty