The mascot of fun - The journey of Venkat Prabhu!

Before two decades, it was believed that being the son of a renowned director cum music director, it would be a cake walk for Venkat Prabhu in the film industry. But fate had other plans, and Venkat Prabhu who was to enter Kollywood as a hero, didn't make it.

The movie Poonjolai which was to have Venkat Prabhu playing the lead was shelved, and National award winner Agathiyan's Kadhal Samrajyam also met with the same result. Venkat managed to stay afloat in the industry, playing supporting roles alongside heroes in movies like April Madhathil, Ji, Sivakasi and Vaazhthukal, and then arrived the big date and an unexpected announcement.

It was summer 2007, and youngsters and students were rejoicing their summer holidays and were waiting for the biggest movie event of the year - Superstar Rajnikanth's Sivaji. That was when came a small movie with an unknown cast except for few known faces like Ilavarasu and Yuvan Shankar Raja's music to support. The movie was Chennai 600028, and Venkat Prabhu and his boys instantly charmed audience who loved the movie and celebrated Venkat Prabhu as the next big thing in kollywood.

So much that it was Sivaji the Boss Rajnikanth himself who graced the 100th day function of Chennai 600028 and blessed the team. The boys came back after an year with another fun entertainer, this time with thrills and humor in Saroja, and Venkat Prabhu's deft handling of the screenplay proved that the success of Chennai 600028 was not a flash in the pan.

Saroja's success was followed by Venkat Prabhu working for the Superstar Rajnikanth himself, as his next movie Goa was bankrolled by Soundarya Rajnikanth, and the movie still has a following, and is celebrated for giving one of the best portrayals of gay love. And then arrived Mankatha - the biggest surprise from Venkat Prabhu. It was the 50th movie of Ajith and Venkat was a surprise choice, but justified his selection by delivering a perfect fanboy tribute with the movie. The blockbuster still remains one of the favorites of Ajith fans, and his character Vinayak Mahadev is l considered one of the best performances of Ajith.

There was a slump in form with Biryani and Massu Engira Maasilamani, which were quite entertaining but didn't work like Venkat Prabhu's previous outings. But the maker came back in style with his boys and delivered a success with Chennai 600028 IInd Innings, which is one of the best sequels from Kollywood as of now.

Venkat Prabhu has always been known for his fun treatment of movies, and be it even a serious theme, his light hearted screenplay will make sure that the audience get a memorable happy theatrical experience worth revisiting. This year, he's all set to enter digital space with Live Telecast, a web series with Kajal Aggarwal, and also has his long delayed Party and the political entertainer Maanaadu with Simbu in pipeline. With his knack of delivering entertainment in his own inimitable style and getting the best out of actors and bringing a new avatar of them, Venkat who is constantly reinventing himself adapting to latest technologies and trends and inculcating them in his films with fun, is sure to entertain with these projects as well.

It was on this day before 14 years that Venkat Prabhu and his boys united for the very first time abd began shooting for Chennai - 600028, a career defining film for the director and everyone involved, and here's wishing the fun movie maker many more successful years in the industry, delivering quality entertainers.