It would not be an exaggeration if we say that Sudharani grew up in and with Kannada cinema. An avid worshipper of Rajkumar, she and her brothers would watch all of his films as children. “In fact, when we played with dolls as children, we would name them after the characters in Rajkumar’s films. There was one particular film we used for our game… one doll was Rajkumar, one was Jayamala and the other, with curly hair, was Prabhakar,” she says suppressing her giggles. Interestingly, Sudharani also owes her own professional tryst with cinema to Rajkumar, her icon and the doyen of Kannada cinema.
It has been 30 years (February 19, 1986) since she made her debut in Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s Anand (1986), a role that was given to her because Rajkumar and Parvathamma recommended her for it. Last week, the Davangere Rajkumar Abhimanigala Sangha felicitated Sudharani to commemorate her contribution to Kannada cinema. “It was heartening to see that at least someone acknowledged a woman’s contribution to Kannada cinema,” she said looking at the memento fondly.
Three decades in an industry is no mean feat and Sudharani says there is nowhere else she would have rather been. “In a way, before I could even make a decision about my life, I was already acting. First as a child actor and later, post Anand…” But it was not like she wasn’t conscious of her responsibility as an actor. “Having come from a conservative family, at some point in my adult life, it was important for me to make a name. I don’t mean money but a repertoire of work that I will be known for,” she adds. Films like Panchama Veda and Mysuru Mallige, she says, changed her as an actor and catapulted her career from the sphere of the professional to that of pure passion.
Strangely therefore, in all these years, it is only now, with the industry in its current avatar, that she feels that there is an urgent need for an introspection from her side. With a diminishing potential for character roles and roles for women in general, Sudharani feels encouraged to pause and make her decisions carefully. As she settles down for a conversation about the present, in her beautiful home in Malleswaram, the past regularly intervenes. Excerpts:
You’re someone who has seen the industry change over the years. What is your assessment of the industry today?
In terms of technical aspects, we have improved perhaps. But even this ‘growth’ is not really for the better. Earlier, filmmaking had a framework and that was followed. There used to be a lot of planning of shots, of dialogues… Filmmakers would analyse each aspect of the film in detail. This is why we are still able to recollect those old films.
Today, for example, in a scene we have close to 42 cut shots! It is considered great. But, from the audience’s point of view, it takes a certain amount of time for the brain to register a scene or a dialogue, right? You should not have so much happening on screen.
In terms of the number of films, there is a certainly an increase in output but how many of these films are we able to remember?
Yes, there are close to five or six releases each week…
Earlier, I was lucky enough to see films that were celebrating a 25th week run or a 365-day run. Now, I see Amogha eradane vaara, celebrations after the second week! It is funny but at the same time, it is really sad to see that an industry that was once flourishing has become like this.
What do you think were the reasons for this change?
I think things started to change drastically sometime in the early 2000s. Earlier, people entered this industry with a passion for the form. They would fight their community and their family to come into the industry in order to create something valuable. Gradually, with the real estate boom, it became ‘fashionable’ to be associated with the movies. Suddenly, it became a trend to shout out loud that one is associated with a movie, irrespective of its quality or the filmmaker’s experience.
How has this affected the kind of roles you are being offered?
Honestly, I’m not getting the kind of roles that I’d really like to do. I guess it is happening to many of my colleagues too. Also, look at the kind of roles for these young girls today! There is nothing great about the role itself.
Today, if you’re a young actress in the industry, is it very difficult to get a role of some standard?
Absolutely. From the ones I have worked with and those I’ve seen, I think it is very difficult. They are dieting like crazy, because the producers or the makers of the film have gotten the skimpiest of costumes and they have to fit into that.
I do feel sorry for them because other than being just a decked up glamour doll, there is nothing else. Sometimes they are not even comfortable carrying those outfits. Now more than ever, most heroines don’t even know Kannada. The industry seems to be happy with just bringing actors from Mumbai and so on. All of them look like a copy of each another.
So, what kind of conversations do you have with filmmakers today?
Sometimes, the way some of these filmmakers narrate the story, I get the impression that the film will be really good. But five or six shots later, I’ll know the calibre of the filmmaker. Visually, they go overboard or they lose track. Or they’ll be told ee track tumba chanagide (this track is really good), comedy track swalp develop madbeku, bere yella mamooli (let’s develop comedy track and focus on that, everything else is pretty ordinary). The argument used to add these x, y and z elements is often that no one will buy the film otherwise.
How do you deal with these ideas?
I’ve generally cut down on the number of movies I do because I don’t want to do movies for the sake of doing them. I have lived my life here in this industry and never deviated from it. I have not developed any other alternative profession like others who have ventured into fields like politics or dance etc. I’m still trying to introspect and find out what else I can do. Until then, this is what I know and this is what gives me happiness.
It is sad that you’re thinking of other options…
You have to accept that in an industry like this, it will always be a cycle. You cannot always remain in the limelight. Earlier character roles would be given so much importance. They would say that only so and so can perform this particular role. Nowadays the first consideration is the money to be paid to an actor. Also, there is no stuff in the role, so it doesn’t matter whether I do it or someone else does it.
It is a man’s industry. It is all about the hero. Or, the comedian or the villain who is at par with the hero.
Even the comedy track often makes fun of women…
As women, we should put our foot down and ask them why they want to ridicule us. I used to get worked up before. But it was only me that used to speak up and even though others would feel the same way, they wouldn’t express themselves.
In recent Kannada cinema, there is a particular moral message that is added- that women should behave a certain way, according to ‘Indian culture’…
But at the same time, the hero suddenly transforms into a goon and kills people, is that okay? What about them showing women in skimpily clad clothes and doing an item number? Is that their version of culture?
I was once offered to be a part of the censor board but I said no. I’ll be the only one saying these things and it will cause rift. There are people in the board who don’t even know Kannada.
Where are the filmmakers of the previous sensibility?
I think they’ve been pushed aside. The current crop of so-called filmmakers are only interested in making the ‘commercially successful’ movies.
Nobody will watch those boring plots, they say. For example, why can’t a movie like Naanu Avanalla Avalu be considered a mainstream film? Why not give it good publicity, release it properly etc.
There is a constant comparison of the industry with other film industries…
The problem is Kannadigas have lost pride in themselves.
Why should we compare? Aren’t we individuals?
Asking us to come up with a good movie is a fair demand, but that doesn’t mean it should be a movie that is similar or is aping another industry’s. We need our own idiom.
Where do you think the film industry is headed?
Either it is going to maintain status quo or it will go further down. In the current crop of heroes, we don't have actors or performers who can shoulder a good film. I have not seen a promising youngster who is capable of delivering a convincing, complete performanceI don’t even want to talk about the women…
