At a time when big budget movies with top stars registered hits even without a substantial comedy track, and when a new crop of comedians seem to be ruling the roost when comedy is required, people are left wondering ‘where is Brahmanandam?’
In the past few months social media has trolled Brahmanandam and insiders had written him off, saying it is curtains for him. Reasons cited were that the star comedian was getting pricey and his demands on the sets compelled producers look out for a replacement. So did he lose out on good roles because he was insisting on getting a high remuneration? “ Abbo ! I am losing out on manchi manchi paatralu ? Yevunnayo cheppandi ? A few days back I had a visitor with a role. His narration was like this - I fall in love with a woman and one day a bird’s dropping is found on her shoulder. I ask her what it is and she says it is white lipstick and clears it. I exclaim how pretty it is and kiss her on the shoulder and the man says it is a adiripoye scene and the title of the story is Deenitho Muginchu . I cannot hurt the gentleman so I hike my remuneration and he leaves disappointed unable to afford me.”
The actor says it is a wee bit tiring and a waste of time clarifying to the media every time some one weaves a story around him. He adds, “Recently the websites carried a news that Krishnam Raju and Venu Madhav passed away. The latter approached the cops to lodge complaint against the mischief. It is not amusing. At the same time I maintain that I have no right to question why people write and behave the way they do. Nothing begins with us and will end with us. Are Relangi, Raja Babu, Ramana Reddy here now? I am not being philosophical; it is the truth or should I be saying philosophy is nothing but truth. We carry sobriquets on our sleeves so it gets difficult to digest certain things. We should do our job and go, we are not greater than NTR right? Nannu chala pogidina rojulu kooda unnayi but I never got carried away.”
Sarrainodu , a mass film might not have made news in the urban centres but is a big hit elsewhere. People are saying Brahmanandam is back, so have the phones again started ringing? The actor reveals, “I don't bother; I have a simple phone that has only incoming and outgoing and simple texting facility. I don’t have Whatsapp.
I go to work, return home and relax and don’t surround myself with sycophants. This is my 31st year in movies and I have done close to 1,056 films. Sometimes some comedian might be a good hit because of a great role etched by the writer and its fate at the box office; but didn’t I do the same when someone else was at their golden period.
The media gets overenthusiastic sometimes . Ippudu vocchinanduku happy feel avvanu .
I am prepared for adversity, everyone has to face it.” Brahmanandam is currently doing Sabhash Naidu , a trilingual starring Kamal Hassan, K. Raghavendra Rao-Nagarjuna’s Hathiram Baba , Venkatesh starrer Babu Bangaram and Chiranjeevi’s 150th film Katthilantodu . With so much happening who says the king of comedy Brahmanandam is waning?
