Achyuth Kumar jokes about how there are approximately nine different kinds of father-roles in Kannada cinema today -- doting, affectionate, stubborn, careless, etc. He is of course only half-joking, for he has played them all on screen ever since his debut in 2007. This apart from the different kinds of villains - the classic don, the evil politician, etc., the iconic performances in films such as Aa Dinagalu and Lucia and not to forget the comic roles whether it is as Chandrashekhar Patil in Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole or Kumar in Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu .
Achyuth Kumar’s versatility, therefore, is stunning. Appearing in an average of 11 or 12 films a year, Kumar is a vital part of the small pool of actors that constitute the supporting cast in most films. Yet, he stands out, even if he appears in one scene alone. His grasp over the medium is fascinating, he has a commanding screen presence and a great sense of comic timing. Excerpts from an interview:
You’ve acted in 16 films this year already. I'm curious to know how you go about choosing roles. Are they based on careful research or is it more spontaneous?
75 per cent of the roles are chosen by me. The rest are a result of compulsions, favours and monetary needs. But to be honest, for us character artistes, there is not that much choice, really. Even if you try to be very discerning, there isn’t much difference between many of the roles (laughs) .
Often, is there no script too?
Thankfully, all the directors that have approached me have come with a script. There are three scripts waiting in my inbox, for instance. Also, this is a practice that has become more common with young directors entering the industry. People like Pawan, Hemanth, Chaitanya, Rakshit-- they approach you with a bound script. But what I meant is that in a commercial set up, if you play the role of a father and it is widely received, then you are likely to be flooded by offers from filmmakers who want you play the father in their film as well. Now, as an actor, if you get carried away, there is a tendency to lose oneself or be stereotyped.
Do you find that happening to you?
Not yet. Every once in a while, there is a role that is different and challenging. For instance, among the upcoming films, there is Badmaash in which I play a scheming Home Minister, in Urvi I play a dark, repugnant man, in Amaravati , I essay the role of a pourakarmika .
At the same time, there are stock roles too. There have been films in which the director has asked me to appear for one scene. I know there is nothing in the role, but one takes it up anyway.
So, you're happy with the kind of roles you are getting.
I've never been insistent that I must do a specific kind of role. The preparation begins once I sign a role. If you are asking me if I have a dream role, then my answer is no. This is cinema. Not theatre, where I could say that I want to play Hamlet, for instance.
But what happens if as an actor you put in your hundred percent, but the eventual product is not something you are happy with?
Cinema is not an actor's medium alone. I'm just a part of the larger process, a cog in the wheel. It is almost always a leap of faith that you have to take and trust your director will do his or her best. It is different when you're on stage. Your live performance mixed with your chemistry with the audience is the final product. The charm of filmmaking is in its ability to extend, tweak, package and present my performance much after I've given the shot and dubbed for the film. You have to learn to be a part of the team.
Your journey began with theatre and then television and cinema happened. Was that the plan?
No, there was no plan. But it all began with theatre, yes. A group from Ninasam had come to my town, Tiptur, to conduct a workshop. There are around 25 graduates of Ninasam from Tiptur itself. We went in hordes to the school as if it was a Sabarimala pilgrimage! We were all simply fascinated that there was this possibility of going to a school for theatre alone. After being a part of Ninasam Tirugata, the desire to start our own repertory began. We began something called Professional Theatre Unit. We ran the organisation for about ten years.
How did a career in television happen?
Sometime around 2000, Girish Kasaravalli, who was familiar with my work on stage, called me to be a part of his serial, Gruhabhanga . I was hesitant as I had no idea about the medium. In fact, I felt there was still a lot that I wanted to do in theatre. We shot for two years almost and I gradually began to like the medium. But there came a time when I decided to leave television. I was getting tired and felt I wasn't being challenged enough. In television, for about 50-60 episodes, a character has the scope to grow and blossom into something more nuanced. After that, it begins to get diluted and becomes a strain.
(Pauses) What has happened to television today is sad, actually. Kannada television was once a space that hosted a lot of experimentation. Over the years, it has gotten stuck in a particular pattern-- call it Ekta Kapoor pattern or whatever. There was diversity. Now, all of it has been erased and homogenised.
You didn't want to run back to theatre?
My connection with theatre is still alive and strong. But at that point, I was fascinated by the camera. Filmmaking, in contrast to television, is more nuanced. The truth also is that an artist cannot survive by being a theatre artist alone.
Was it easy to get roles when you decided to enter the film industry?
I wouldn't say easy. But Shashank approached me to play a father to Chanchala (Radhika Pandit) in Moggina Manasu . Around the same time, Chaitanya cast me as Oil Kumar in Aa Dinagalu . In a way, these two films set the broad categories for the kind of roles I was offered thereafter. I've played different kinds of fathers and villains. (laughs)
There was variety as well with films like Puttakkana Highway , Ulidavaru Kandanthe , Lucia , Naanu Nanna Kanasu and so on.
Did recognition come only with Pawan Kumar's Lucia though?
There was no film that gave me a formal 'break' as such. For character artistes like me, there is no single film that can change one's destiny overnight.
You seem to share an interesting chemistry with Anant Nag, which is evident in films like Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole and Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu...
We've worked together since my days of television. I think there is a give and take that goes on when we're together. Often, filmmakers roll the camera when we're talking and joking around on the set. One cannot have an ego when working towards a particular outcome. Creativity is impossible if actors behave like stars on the set. Anant Sir and I understand each other and generally, there is a lot of laughter and camaraderie when we're around each other.
Do you watch a lot of cinema?
I'm a crazy film buff. Whatever the film maybe, I'll not just watch, but enjoy it too.
Do you watch all your films too?
Not all. Then I may have to remain in the theatre.
