Prabhu Deva birthday: How much do you know about the Indian Michael Jackson?

There are a very few dancers in India who have the power to mesmerise you and take you to a happy place, whose moves and expressions connect to every chord in your heart! When they dance, you can’t help but feel the energy, the passion and the strong urge to dance and let go. One such person is Prabhu Deva a.k.a. Prabhudeva a.k.a. Prabhu Dheva.

Born on April 3, 1973, he is known as the Indian Michael Jackson, while many feel his name in itself is a new name in dance. He has gone from the backdrop of a dancing sequence to behind the cameras to direct. His career began being a background dancer and he is now a renowned film actor, director and choreographer. His dance revolutionised Indian cinema, with numbers like Kay Sera Sera and Urvasi. As this phenomenal dancer turns 41, here are a few facts you probably did not know about him. 

1. His Father

Many people wonder what made this immensely talented star turn to dancing; it was his father, Mugur Sundar. He is a choreographer for South Indian movies and he was Prabhu Deva’s inspiration. His father has choreographed more than 10,000 movies in South India.

2. His dance

Having a choreographer as a dad, Prabhu Deva was driven by his will to learn as much as possible about dance. He has trained in the Indian classical dance form Bharatnatyam from renowned artistes Dharmaraj and Udipi Lakshminarayanan. He has also received training in Western dance styles.

3. Agni Natchathiram

Agni Natchathiram, a Tamil flick, directed by Mani Ratnam, was Prabhu Deva’s first movie. He appeared as one of the background dancers in this movie and went on to shake a leg in various other movies as well.

4. National Film Awards

Prabhu Deva has won several awards for his elaborate dance sequences. He has won two National Film Awards for Best Choreography in 1997 and 2004 respectively for Minsaara Kanavu, a Tamil song, and Main Aisa Kyun Husong from Lakshya picturised on Hrithik Roshan.

5. MJ and Friends

MJ & Friends was a mini concert by Michael Jackson in 1999 to in aid of children around the world. The concerts were performed at Seoul, South Korea and Munich, Germany. Prabhu Deva was also a part of this tour of his idol, so were composer A R Rahman and singer Shobhana. A very happy birthday to Prabhu Deva!