A tale of many talents on the airwaves, celluloid & music

From training in classical vocals to dabbling in the television industry in its salad days, to becoming a renowned thespian, Prasad Gurav has had his fingers in several piesand all of them very successfully.In the '80s, while he was still learning music under the tutelage of his fatherwell-known classical vocalist Shankar GuravPrasad was bitten by the theatre bug. He embarked on an uncharted journey into the world of drama in 1990 and soon realised the downsides of restricting himself solely to theatre. Unlike other Goan youth passionate about theatre, Prasad joined the National School of Drama's repertory in Delhi to spread his wings. The shift in art form, he says, wasn't much of a challenge coming from a family with an inclination for performing arts. "My father was always supportive. He did not stop me when I chose theatre over music as a career," he says, adding that his knowledge of music contributed greatly to his pursuit of becoming a better performer. But shifting to theatre did not mean forsaking music. Prasad holds a sangeet visharad (vocal)a title equivalent to a degree in musicfrom the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai, and a diploma in theatre arts, Kala Academy, Goa. The two art forms, he says, are complementary. Soon after he moved to Delhi, Prasad landed a role portraying an IAS officer in Manzileina popular television serial on Doordarshanthat catapulted the newcomer from Goa into the limelight. 

In an era when Doordarshan was the sole channel airing serials, and run-of-the-mill saas-bahu sagas were unheard of, this was an unexpected break for the young man. But did the curveball throw him off track? No, he says. For though theatre was his first love, he had gone to Delhi in search of greater exposure and that was what television offered him. He had no trouble adapting to a new medium that satiated his thirst for wider horizons. Forever in pursuit of excellence, Prasad did not linger in television for long when no substantial roles came his way despite having proved his mettle. "I was not to be satisfied doing mediocre roles, till quality work came my way," he says, explaining why he returned to Goa soon after and to the stage as well. While his move may seem imprudent in today's day and age, Prasad doesn't regret it in the least and is content working in the field of experimental theatre. He is engrossed in acting, directing and producing dramas, alongside carrying forth his musical lineage.

Although Indian classical music may not have been his field of choice, his contribution to it is in no way meagre. Having a completed a doctoral thesis on svatantryottar Hindi rang sangeet from Goa University, he continues to train budding vocalists at his music school in Porvorim. He has worked in several noted plays, such as Antigone, Agnihotra, Andha Yug, Julius Caesar, Mitrachi Ghoshta, Bhint and Sonata and won best actor awards for Arya Chanakya and King Oedipus. In a career spanning two decades, Prasad has worked with noted thespians like B V Karanth, Bhaskar Chandavarkar, Madhav Vatve and Bhanu Bharati, among others. His struggle now, is choosing between what the masses want and what fulfils his creative spirit.