He has shared the screen with leading actors such as MGR, Sivaji, and Jayalalithaa in Tamil cinema. Over the years, he has appeared in more than 60 Doordarshan programmes and acted in over 150 films across Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada. Today, he runs a Xerox shop. Do you know who he is?

Actor Master Prabhakar was born in Madurai in 1957. His father managed businesses including a photo studio and printing press. Prabhakar is the eldest of six children. His sister, Sumathi, also began her career as a child actor and went on to appear in several films, including K. Balachander’s Iru Kodugal and Rajinikanth’s Naan Sigappu Manithan.

Master Prabhakar was the first in his family to enter the film industry. He made his acting debut with the 1966 film Saadhu Mirandal. Over the years, he appeared in numerous films such as Marakka Paladda, Bama Vijayam, Engaluckum Kalam Varum, Moonrezhuthu, Tamarai Nenjam, and Va Raja Vaa.

He gained recognition for acting alongside legendary performers including Sivaji, MGR, Jayalalithaa, and Nagesh. Beginning his career as a child star, Prabhakar worked in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada cinema. Va Raja Vaa marked his debut as a lead actor.

At one point, opportunities in Tamil cinema became scarce, prompting him to open a Xerox shop in Chennai. He is also credited as the first person to operate a colour Xerox shop in the city.

Now 68 years old, Master Prabhakar’s last film appearance was in the Telugu film Devi Abhayam, released in 2005.