‘Listen to my heart, I am waiting for you,’ Jayaprada gives playback as Hansika Motwani prances around with Siddharth, Jayaprada’s nephew, in “Uyire Uyire”. It may be the first time Jayaprada is singing in a Tamil film – she has lent her voice to a Hindi film “Sone Ki Lanka” more than 20 years ago – but the film is essentially a launch pad for Siddhu, as Siddharth is popularly called. “We did not tell her that she was going to sing. We took her to the studio. She was shocked. But the song came out beautifully,” reveals the upcoming star.
If Jayaprada was “shocked” at being asked to sing, how was Siddhu’s condition last Friday when the film was released? “I am not able to explain the feeling. ‘Uyire Uyire’ is a remake for the hit Telugu film ‘Ishq’. So expectations are bound to be there. But I am a Tamil guy, born and brought up in Chennai. I know the audiences will accept me.”
For somebody hailing from a star family, Siddhu is pretty down to earth, ending his sentences with ‘Sir’, and modest all through the conversation. If he had butterflies in his stomach, he did a good job of not letting them fly to the surface. “Uyire Uyire” is a romantic film, pretty much a safe way to launch a star. Yet it is a bit of a risk considering how horror and thriller mode has found popularity down South. Says Siddhu, “The film has a youth appeal. Youngsters are loving it. FM channels are constantly playing Jaya ji’s song. They are getting very good response. I am told it has opened well with around 80 per cent footfall though I do not have the exact figures yet.”
As a child, he chaperoned Jayaprada to unending film shoots and film sets yet it was not easy for him to give his first take. He had to give 21 retakes. Today, he laughs about it. “I was nervous. I asked for an easy scene from the director. He said okay. But when I stood in front of the camera, the director asked me to hug and kiss Hansika. I had seen Hansika in movies on the screen many times but it was very difficult to say ‘I love you’ to her. In real life also, it is very difficult for a guy to stand in front of a girl and say, ‘I love you’. It was embarrassing! But once the shot was okayed by the director, everything worked out.”
Jayaprada, using all her experience, had come to his rescue then, advising him not to remember that Hansika has been around for some time. But it is not always a boon to have a star in the family. Siddhu gives his take, “She is my acting institute at home. She taught me so much about body movement, abut dialogue delivery. She has done more than 300 films and people gave her unconditional love. Because of her they love me. I am known because of her. But because of the same connection, people have certain expectations of me. I will have to do really well.”
The film has been released across the country with shows even in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. “It opened very well in Hyderabad. The first shows were all packed,” reveals Siddhu. With the exams over, holidays all but here, there could not have been a better time to release the film. But there is the small question of World T-20 and now the upcoming IPL. It is understood that most biggies prefer to wait out the IPL period these days just as they preferred to wait for Ramzan to get over before releasing their films around Eid. Says Siddhu, “My film was released after India’s last match. I wanted India to win. I love my country. But for the film it freed up the viewers.”
Here is hoping they utilised the time well.
Back to business!
For the first time in more than a decade, this year on her birthday Jayaprada did not go to Tirupati to offer prayers. Instead, she concentrated on the last minute details of the release of “Uyire Uyire”, her nephew Siddharth’s maiden Tamil film. Not wanting to leave any stone unturned, she even sang a song for the film, thereby hoping that her fan base would turn up to watch Siddhu’s film. At least on FM channels and Tamil channels the move has worked.
“The FM channels are playing the song again and again. I went to the studio of a private FM channel, the listeners called in to request me to sing ‘Listen to the heart’. I think the song has come out very well. Full credit to the music director for the way he has used my humming sound, the way the song has shaped up. I am thrilled. I am sure the youngsters who go to watch Siddhu’s film will come back singing the song though there are other good songs in the film,” says Jayaprada, sounding every inch like an eager newcomer.
Talk of Siddhu and her matronly avatar surfaces. “He is a Chennai boy. He was born here, brought up here. He is very talented, very hard working. I also have a warm relationship with my Tamil fans. They have always welcomed me with open arms. Now I just hope they bless Siddhu too. ‘Uyire Uyire’ is a romantic film as it is his first film. But I understand Tamil audiences want their heroes to do the martial stuff, do some good fight scenes. So in his next movie he is doing all of that.”
Meanwhile, Jayaprada herself is doing a bilingual Tamil-Telugu film with Napoleon. “It is called ‘Sarasa’. The film has just gone to the floors. I am happy with my character. It is a well etched out role.” She is also doing a Malayalam film as also a paranormal Hindi film. “I have been too busy with Napoleon’s film and Siddhu’s release. Now, I will concentrate on the Hindi film. It is my first paranormal film. So, I am excited.”
“I keep coming back to films, they say. I say, I did not go away. It is just that when you are in politics you do not get as much time for cinema. But over the past year or so, I have had time. So I am doing films. Some politicians when they get time off, they go back to their business. Some go back to the legal practice. Films are the only medium I know. So, I do films, preferably some meaningful films. I never for a single minute forget that films are what made me; because of my film career, people recognised me in Rampur. They showered me with so much love. Even now when I visit Rampur, I get so much love from people.”
