Prashant Kumar

Prashant Kumar is an Indian writer and director who works predominately in the Telugu movie industry. He wrote and directed the black comedy movie Mithai (2019). Prashant was born and brought in Bihar. He comes from a doctor's family. As a child, he suffered Attention Deficit Disorder and used to fail in most of his examinations. Prashant's father had been an enormous support for him. Prashant had stammering problems too. When Prashant told him he did not want to be a doctor, his father accepted his decision and wanted him to do something in life.

He planned to enroll in a mass communication degree and become a sports journalist. Prashant got admission to a college in Manipal. He enrolled in a Master's program in mass communication in the year 2000-2001. He became friends with Kranti Madhav and Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who studied with him. Later, Prashant Kumar jointly worked with Sandeep in the film Arjun Reddy. He wanted to be a Sports Journalist and even worked in the profile for a while. In an interview, he mentioned that his social science teacher A.F. Matthews used to explain the concepts through movies.

It created an immense influence on Prashant and pushed him to foray into films. Prashant Kumar lived in Hyderabad for over 13 years but never got exposed to Telugu films. He does not speak Telugu too. When he completed the script of Mithai, his friends suggested he do it in Tamil, but since Prashant was familiar with the Hyderabad city and people, he decided to do it in Telugu. Prashant's brother, who is a doctor, produced the film, and his father pitched in some money for the project from his provident fund. Prashant’s brother even took a personal loan when he needed more funds.

Initially, when he wrote the script, Prashant wanted a dog, but because of budget constraints, he settled for a goat. He was also sure not to cast unfamiliar faces. Actor Vijay Deverakonda and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga launched the movie. The film opened to mixed reviews from the audience and the critics. Prashant is a big fan of Coen brothers, known for their stylish films that combine elements of comedy and drama. In an interview, he mentioned that his debut movie was a tribute to their style of filmmaking. Prashant loves traveling and a food lover. He announced on his social media about his upcoming project, which is a crime thriller.