He thought I never talk: Prabhas on Adipurush co-star Saif Ali Khan

It is hard to ignore the personality that Prabhas brings into a room when he comes striding in. Radhe Shyam, which will be released on 11 March, is the latest in a series of large-scale productions that match the actor's towering presence. Nonetheless, there has been a persistent rumour that the artiste is a shy introvert off-screen.

At a promotional event for Radha Krishna Kumar's upcoming romantic drama, the actor half-jokingly remarked that he talks a lot but has a starting problem.

The actor had a similar problem with Saif Ali Khan on the sets of the upcoming epic Adipurush. 

He remarked, "The first time I met him, I only said, 'Hi, sir'. The second day was a little more. The third day was even more." Recalling Khan's perception of himself, he said, "He (Saif Ali Khan) was surprised. He said, 'I thought you never talk'."

"He (Saif) is a very jovial person, and I used to love hanging around him in the sets," Prabhas added.

The actor revealed that after the first few days together, his co-star and he became fast friends. He said, "Saif sir is a superb actor and is playing Ravan, so it is fantastic. It's not like I don't talk. I talk a lot. I just have a starting problem." 

The actor had no such problems with his other Adipurush co-star Kriti Sanon, who will also be seen alongside Prabhas in Radhe Shyam. "With Kriti, I don't know what happened. From the first day, we started talking," he said.

The anecdote is a reflection of Prabhas's laissez-faire attitude to life, which has earned him some curiosity from the Mumbai film industry. Since Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), the actor has only grown more familiar with the industry.

"I am not an introvert. I just need a little time. The first time I had to come to the Hindi industry, I said, "Please I don't want to come." Then again, Saaho (2019) happened, and I was a little more comfortable. Now, you see me," he shrugged. 

Om Raut's Adipurush is a retelling of the Ramayana and is set to be released in theatres on 12 January 2023. The actor praised Raut's script as the key to setting the film apart from many earlier retellings of the myth. He said, "That's where Om comes in. It's (the magic) in the screenplay. I would like to tell you a lot about it, but later."