Why is Prakash Raj unapologetic about remakes?

Earlier this week when actor Prakash Raj unveiled the music of his upcoming directorial Oggarane, music composer Hamsa Lekha praised Prakash's loyalty to his mother tongue Kannada. But he also had a request -- Hamsa Lekha wanted Prakash to helm a straight film the next time around. While Prakash promised the music director to do so, he also explained to the audience why he believes remakes aren't a crime."I'm a man who travels around the nation, works in various industries and constantly expand my horizon as an actor. I don't work to please anyone, but to satisfy my inner being. I do a film without judging if its an original or a remake; the subject has to excite me and satiate my creative instinct, that's all, " states Prakash.
His debut directorial in Kannada was a remake of his own Tamil film Abhiyum Naanum which was titled Naanu Nanna Kanasu. "Abhiyum Naanum tapped into the father in me and I wanted to share that tale with my people back home. So I chose to make it in Kannada. Today, I have remade a Malayalam film which deals with love; it has such a different perspective and I decided to remake it in the form of Oggarane. No film can be limited to one particular state; instead it has to be viewed as a pan-Indian film," says Prakash who adds that it's the first time that a film, Oggarane, has been shot across three languages simultaneously.
"It's nice when a movie features actors from varied languages as is the case with Oggarane. The exchange of ideas and perspectives between all of them was beautiful. Today, I've brought a film from Malayalam to Kannada. Tomorrow, I might take our own movie and remake it elsewhere. That's the purpose of cinema - to reach out to a vast audience," sums up Prakash.
— Contributed by Madhu Daithota