We all know him as a dancer par excellence but Prabhu Dheva says that he was a reluctant dancer as a kid who would cringe when asked to dance. "I'm a middle-class boy. A reluctant dancer. I would cringe when asked to dance. I still remember having to wake up early from Class 6 to learn Bharatanatyam. I hated it. There was no escape, as Dharmaraj Master would come home to teach me and my two brothers. But in retrospective, he was my school; he taught me the ABCs of dancing. Little did I know then that dance would be my calling. Later, I studied under Udupi Lakshman Master. He helped me get a degree in the field. I consider them both my gods," Prabhu Dheva was quoted as saying in a recent report.
Prabhu Dheva says that he is inspired by his father, choreographer Sundaram Master, who moved to Mysore 15 years ago and became a farmer. "He switched to shorts and tee-shirts and embraced village life. He walked around in slush... it was a total transformation. Even today, he's up at dawn, speaking to fellow farmers. I did wonder if it was the right thing to do, but now, I know he was right," Prabhu Dheva was quoted as saying. The dancer, actor and director recently redecorated his parents' house in Mysore and says that they were astonished to see a "rich-man's mansion." "Even today, when I head to my parents' home in Alwarpet, I sleep on a mat in a non-AC room. That's how we grew up. I don't forget that. I've never lived the glamorous life. I work from 9 am to 6 pm and switch off. My best friends are from school," he reportedly added.