Dhoni versatile actor and multiple National Award winner Prakash Raj’s directorial debut in Tamil and Telugu, is hitting the cinema halls today. The movie has garnered a lot of attention — first, for its title Dhoni and secondly, for its music by maestro Ilayaraja.

Prakash says that Dhoni was chosen as the title keeping in view cricketer MSD’s status as an icon. Based on Mahesh Manjrekar’s Marathi film that talked about our education system and how a child is burdened right from LKG, Dhoni is about a middle-class father who wants to give his son the best education possible.

The actor was impelled to make the film after witnessing the situation in his own home. “My daughter is studying in grade XI and I could see the pressure building up since she was in the VIII grade. It was a similar case with my nephew,” he reveals. Ace Tollywood filmmaker Puri Jagannath’s son Aakash has acted as Prakash’s son in Dhoni.

On turning director, he says, “I have had the opportunity to produce good, meaningful movies. With Dhoni, my excitement is threefold as I produce, direct and act in the lead. To direct is a very important journey for me one of reinventing myself.” People who have watched the sneak preview are raving about the way Prakash has handled the subject. “I hope everyone can relate to the theme and it reaches across to the masses. Let’s see!” he signs off.