When good movies don’t have an audience, all an artiste is left with is the satisfaction of having attempted something that is worthy of being emulated. Tommy which released last week fetched good reviews but there is hardly any crowd in the theatres. Rajendra Prasad gives out mixed feelings, he has mellowed over the years but he says he is enjoying this phase of career and life too. This is not the first time he has worked with an animal — it was an elephant who was his co-star in Rajendrudu Gajendrudu and few weeks down the line he will be seen with a hen in Dhagudamuta Dhandakor .
“The dog is just a part of the film, there are other characters as well. The world is shrinking and so are human relations; such films fill the void that has been created by distance and they are necessary too. When you are working with children and animals, you will have to understand their moods and get the work done, you will have to go to their level to get them to act. In Rajendrudu Gajendrudu for example, I observed what the trainer did to get close to the elephant. Praveen is a trainer of the dog but how will he know what is wanted for the cinema? When I first went to have a look at Tommy, it opened the fridge and fetched a water bottle,” he recollects.
The versatile artiste bonded not with one but three dogs from three age groups, throughout the film; one is a puppy then Bhoogie and finally Tommy. Rajendra Prasad says he has dogs at home but he doesn’t have the time to pamper them but here he got the opportunity as part of his work and felt gratified whenever the dog licked his face and showered him with affection.
His next release he quips is Dhagudamuta Dhandakor that has a fowl as the main attraction. “Bapineedu from Ramoji Film City called me one day after seeing Saivam and said I should see the film. I reprise the role that Nasser played, you will be shocked to see how the fowl acts. It is tough though to act with animals and birds. I remember giving 16 takes for Bhoogie and waiting to get his act right. I had to maintain the same tempo, same intensity and emotion in the first take to the 16th take, go to its level to make it happen...that too sweating in a suit. I don’t go selecting such roles, god gives it to me and I am grateful to him that my 37 years of career in films have been hugely satisfying despite the ups and downs. People from other languages are asking me to work in their films too..I haven’t yet taken a decision.”