Vetaran actor Sudarshan and his wife Shylashri slowly climbed the steps of Badami House, to speak at the Belli Hejje programme organised by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA). Belli Hejje is an ambitious project of KCA to provide platform for eminent Kannada cinema personalities to travel down their memory lane and also record the same for the posterity.
He straightaway went to have a glimpse of the photo-exhibition arranged in the corridors. As he moved from one frame to another, he got a whiff of fresh paint. Sudarshan was lost in thought for some time and even before programme began, he started recollecting his initial days in cinema. “My father (R. Nagendra Rao, one of the pioneers of Kannada cinema) used to take us to film sets. Painting film sets was a celebration in those days, as with the touch of paint, the whole ambience would change. But I was allergic to paints and once told him I don’t want to dabble with cinema. Without reacting, he just smiled at me, as he was aware of my passion for acting.” Sudarshan who hated paint, ended up spending five decades donning grease paint.
Sudarshan who first donned grease paint, when he was just 21 for Vijayanagarada Veeraputra -,a film directed by his father and scripted by his brother R.N. Jayagopal lived with that memory till recently. If number is the criteria to assess contribution of an actor to films, this multilingual actor, essayed various characters, including, lead, anti-hero, supporting roles in over 250 films, besides five tele serials in five languages. Besides Kannada, he left an indelible impression on the minds of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi audience. He sang songs, which music lovers still hum with passion. He produced and directed films too.
He was the fourth son of Rattihalli Nagendra Rao popularly known as RNR in Kannada cinema. It is significant that RNR groomed three of his four sons in different wings of production. While R.N. Jayagopal became a great script, dialogue and lyric writer, R.N. Sudarshan had opted acting as his career. R.N. Krishna Prasad learnt cinematography and held the camera for hundreds of films. The good looking Sudarshan entered Kannada cinema as a romantic hero. Audience still remember Sudarshan on horseback with fur cap singing Apara Keerti Galisi Merada Bhavya Naadidu, eulogising Kannada, Karnataka and its glory.
It is rare for an actor to essay the role of anti-hero, after donning lead roles in over 60 films. But, being an artiste, Sudarshan never considered acting as villain was inferior. He accepted whatever came in his way and did justice to the roles offered by the film makers. The best example is his roles as supporting actor in over 100 films. Similar was his attitude for tele serials. He acted in over five tele-serials of Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
In the zenith of his career Sudarshan shared screen with legends of Kannada cinema including Rajkumar, Kalyan Kumar, Uday Kumar, Arun Kumar and others. He also acted with legends of Tamil and Telugu film industry. His small appearance as one of the three underworld dons (Reddygaru as Kamal Hassan addresses them) in Nayagan directed by Manirathnam is still fresh in the memory of audience. He tried his hand in production. Naguva Hoovu produced in 1971 brought him National Award as the Best Regional Film. His wife Shylashree wrote the script, besides essaying lead role. The film is about affection showered by a nurse on a patient with terminal cancer. Naguva Hoovu was well received both by mass and the class audience. Irabeku Irabeku Ariyada Kandana Taraha sung by Sudrashan is still being hummed by music lovers. Sudarshan married Shylashree, after release of the film and the couple continued to act together for several films after their marriage.
Vijayanagarada Veeraputra, Naguva Hoovu, Mareyada Deepavali, Mariya My Darling (Kannada-Tamil), Madhu Malathi, Malathi Madhava, Vaagdaana, Suvarna Bhoomi , Krishnadevaraya, Immadi Pulakeshi,Chandrahasa, Ondu Hennina Kathe, Karulina Kare, Kaadina Rahasya, Kappu Bilupu, Mata and Super (Kannada), Punnagai Mannan, Pagadai Panirendu (Tamil, Parijatham (Malayalam ) are some of the films he has acted in. He sang the song Hoovondu Balibandu Tagitu Ennedeya for the film Shubha Mangala directed by Puttanna Kanagal.
Sudarshan and Shylashree spent most of their time in Madras (present Chennai),from days when the Kannada film industry was still struggling to find its roots in Karnataka. When they decided to shift to Bangalore, actor Jaggesh helped them in getting a house in Malleshwaram. He also offered him a role in his film Matha directed by Guruprasad. In this film Sudarshan played the memorable role of a seer. “I shared screen with Sudarshan in Kadana . During the shooting, he narrated story of how he lost his house in Chennai. When, he came to Bangalore, I did my best to relocate him. He even enquired about the health of my son, who was attacked by anti-social elements,” says Jaggesh, recounting his brief association with this multi-faceted actor.
His last film was Charulata produced by Dwarakish. “Sudarshan was a friendly person His role as conjurer in Prachanda Kulla brought him both name and fame. During my visits to Madras, I used to visit Sudarshan regularly and still remember the hospitality extended by both husband and wife. Though he essayed roles of romantic hero in many films, he did not refuse to act as villain later. That shows his commitment to acting,” recalls Dwarakish.
Lyricist and producer C.V. Shivashankar has a bouquet of memories about Sudarshan. He knew Sudarshan for over six decades.
“Because of his good physique, offers came from all the south Indian languages. But he did not get his due in Kannada cinema,” Shivashankar regrets while adding “I lost a good friend”.
The only solace is Sudarshan was chosen for Dr. Rajkumar Award by the Karnataka Government for his contribution to film industry.
