Kollywood 'Dude' Quit IT Job For Cinema Dream, Lied About Doing Nightshift Job, Later Made A Blockbuster Movie Inspired By This

Cinema has made space for all sorts of whacky individuals, the rule breakers and the ones whom no one believed in, until they conquered hearts. The rags to riches stories of stars often find space in tabloids and some become truly inspiring. One such creative individual is Tamil cinema's writer-director Pradeep Ranganathan.

Pradeep was an engineering graduate who started working a regular IT job after passing out. However, his true calling was cinema. He started making short films that caught the attention of Ravi Mohan, who collaborated with him in his feature film directorial Comali (2019). It was not only a fresh story, but its relatable humour turned it into an instant hit. Pradeep got his dream break. 

His next directorial was Love Today (2022), also a commercial success. This also marked his debut as an actor. Pradeep's relatability was his X Factor and he stuck to it.

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Now, Pradeep is attached to direct one of the biggest movies in Indian cinema, said to be starring Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. While the young actor-director has remained silent on this matter, its only time that he makes the most anticipated projects with screen icons.

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Pradeep lied about his nightshift job    

“My parents did not believe this film dream when I started. I resigned from my IT job at the time. I worked for one and a half years in IT, but afterwards I started getting work in small advertisements. So I told my mom and quit my job. I asked her not to tell Dad about it, as I would pretend like I am working from home for his sake. So my mother managed as long as she could manage without telling him. It went on for one and a half years,” Pradeep told The Hollywood Reporter India.

He also shared how his father thought that he was working the night shift in a corporate job for the whole one and a half years. “My father thought that I was going for the night shift. So when he wakes up, I will be sleeping, and my mom will tell him that our poor son has worked hard all night and is sleeping now, all tired. So she helped me. I used to manage with the money I had saved till then,” Pradeep added. Interestingly, in the 2025 hit Dragon, Pradeep's character Ragavan lies to his parents about working a job. He has also co-written the movie. Seems like Pradeep blended the the real with the reel here. 

Up next, he will feature in Dude, set for October 17 release. Post that, he will be seen as the leading actor in Love Insurance Kompany (LIK), releasing in December this year. Pradeep's storytelling has struck a chord with the youth.