Meet the Ad filmmaker who's now taking on Mohanlal in Thudarum

Tharun Moorthy’s latest film Thudarum, starring Malayalam cinema legends Mohanlal and Shobana, introduces a surprising new face as the antagonist: ad filmmaker-turned-actor Prakash Varma.

Who is Prakash Varma?

Before stepping into the world of cinema, Prakash Varma had already made a name for himself behind the camera. The Malayali native, who co-founded Nirvana Films with his wife Sneha Iype in 2001, directed iconic advertisements featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, and the much-loved Vodafone ZooZoos. Based in Bengaluru, Varma honed his craft early on under filmmakers like Viji Thampi and VK Prakash.

Over the years, he worked with top brands such as Bisleri, KitKat, iPhone, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Vodafone, and even helmed major tourism campaigns for Kerala and Dubai. His creative prowess caught international attention in 2009 when Michael Bay’s production company, The Institute, brought him on board for global commercial projects.

According to the Nirvana Films website, Prakash is “completely consumed by craft," preferring to hear scripts narrated rather than reading them himself. His passion lies in simple storytelling and drawing out nuanced performances from actors.

Prakash Varma’s Role in Thudarum

In Thudarum, Prakash debuts as CI George Mathan — a seemingly harmless, well-meaning character who quietly lurks in the background. However, as the story unfolds, George reveals a chilling, ruthless side, turning into a formidable adversary.

Audiences have been raving about Varma’s performance, with his Instagram flooded with comments from fans who said they "hated" his character — a testament to how convincingly he pulled off the role. Some even declared, “Lalettan (Mohanlal) finally met his match.”

From directing superstars in ads to sharing the screen with Mohanlal, Prakash Varma’s cinematic journey is just getting started — and it’s off to an impressive beginning.