Chennai, Feb 23
Ace director Venkat Prabhu, who directed Ajith Kumar in the film 'Mankatha' and who recently paid a visit to the Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi where he witnessed Ajith Kumar racing with his team Ajith Kumar Racing, has now put out a video, detailing his experience of watching the actor participate in a high speed race from close quarters.
In a video clip, which is now viral on social media, Venkat Prabhu said, "I wanted to share something which I saw in person with you guys. I recently watched a race at the Yas Marina tracks in Abu Dhabi. Ajith sir participated in that race along with his team."
The ace director then went on to say, "Basically, I have watched a lot of races. I have even watched F1 in Singapore. I have watched it from a distance."
However, the director pointed out that it was only recently that for the first time, he had watched a race in which someone he know was participating in it. "When we watch a race in which someone we know is participating, the excitement is much more and along with it, you also experience more fear," Venkat Prabhu disclosed.
"I was able to see how the team behind this works. When the vehicle stops for a tyre change, they check gas and other aspects. They do it in a matter of 15 to 17 seconds. In F1, the tyres are changed. But in this race, the drivers too change. The time taken for one driver to come out and another driver to take his place is astounding. It is not like our normal car, where one can come out of a door. It has to be through a window. I was awe-struck watch Ajith sir do all that," he explained.
"To even be seated inside such a car, one might get shortness of breath. I am very claustrophobic," Venkat Prabhu confessed and said, "I was completely astounded to watch him (Ajith) pursue his passion. It's an amazing thing."
"Cinema itself is difficult. But here, there are no retakes. It is either life or death. Everybody is driving at around 220 kms or 260 kms an hour. Everybody's prayers is that the drivers should come out safely. I witnessed with my own eyes a crash. Luckily, nothing happened to anybody. But it was a terrible crash. At that time, I watched Ajith sir's team's reaction. They were rattled. Although they were competing, they were concerned for the saftely of all the drivers," the director appreciated even as he stressed how risky the sport was.
Praising Ajith for popularising the sport in the country, Venkat Prabhu said, "Ajith sir himself said, 'It is an amazing sport. Somehow we must create an awareness in our country.' I told him that interest in the sport in the country was increasing after he took up racing. Watching him race was a mind blowing experience."
The director also explained how the team did a post mortem of a race after almost half-a-day. "Only after half-a-day, they talk about what went wrong. They sit with the drivers and discuss and analyse," he said.
Stating that he participated in a pit walk with Ajith, the director said that he met all the drivers of Ajith Kumar's team including driving ace Narain Karthikeyan. "It was a beautiful experience," said Venkat Prabhu as he summed up the experience.
