O ne hundred films as a hero is an achievement especially when you don’t indulge in run of the mill roles. Ramesh likes to challenge himself be it acting, compering or direction. His directorial venture ‘Sundaranga Jaana’ hits the screens today and his hundredth film as a hero ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ is due for release soon. His pleasant on-screen persona permeates when you meet up.
It seems to have become more difficult to release a film than make it.
Depends on who makes it, basically. With two heavyweights like Rockline and Allu Arvind, release was not a problem at all. In ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ I’m just the actor. Luckily Darshan’s manager, Mallikarjun is the distributor and he’s having a golden run. He has a stable hold on theatres. Schedule-wise I really wish we could announce a release date and stick to it. That seems difficult.
Even with the bigwigs behind ‘Sundaranga Jaana’, it had to be postponed.
That was purely because of demonetisation.
You used the term creative. Does it work in a remake?
Completely. I started off telling them I’ll remake a story not a film. There are two ways to look at a remake. You photo copy the original which I don’t endorse. Direction is much beyond the story. You take it like any fresh script, churn it in your mind and tell it the best way you can. It would be stupid to mess up the original but you can add a viewpoint. The advantage is that you have a story that’s worked. I’d like you to watch ‘SJ’ and then the original again. I’m not trying to steer away from the original. That’s how ‘Rama Shama Bhama’ was also done. I remember the writer Sujata telling me in the presence of Balu Mahendra and Kamal, that he couldn’t imagine the same film being interpreted by two different men so well. Direction is beyond storytelling. The changes I’ve made do not mean I’m belittling the original. It was a pre-condition I had with the producers. Allu Arvind is happy with my version.
It’s riskier because you’re tweaking what’s been tried and tested.
It’s not about tweaking or bravery. This is another way to tell the same story.
You approached Allu Arvind with an original script.
That’s how it started. I narrated a script to Allu Arjun. He liked it and wanted some changes in the second half. We were to meet again. The same afternoon Rockline Venkatesh called saying they wanted me to direct this film for them. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity because it was the same banner.
Somewhere the Kamal connection continues. ‘Bhale Bhale Moggadivoy’ is the first line from a song in ‘Maro Charitra’.
(Laughs) That connection will continue with ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ also. I was discouraging them because it’s too big a film and there would be unnecessary comparisons. The makers were insistent. I called Singeetham and he said the title belongs to Mahabharatha. It’s not about you and me. He gracefully asked me to go ahead.
In some ways is it a lighter take on ‘Ghajini’?
In fact one of the titles floated was ‘Namoora Ghajini’. We thought up of a lot of titles. The one I like was ‘Melgade Mane Kali Idhe’ which suited the hero’s predicament. Another was ‘0GB Love Story’.
‘ Uttama Villain’ did not do great things for your career but it must have been enriching as a director.
Absolutely. If it had done well, probably, I’d have had to shift to Chennai. Any film of that scale and handling so many stars makes you a better director. ‘SJ’ was easier to execute because of that experience.
Has your foray into direction cost you roles as an actor?
Not at all. I just like to dabble in various things and direction is very exciting though it takes a lot of time. It’s a beautiful slot to be in. I finished ‘PV’ in forty days while it took five months to complete ‘SJ’. Also, I’m at a peculiar age.
It’s like a child artiste entering puberty.
Exactly. Only certain roles suit you. You can’t play the grey haired father of a hero. I could not do Ganesh’s role even though it’s the kind of role I normally do. I need roles like ‘PV’.
What next?
Well other than cinema I’ve started a project called ‘R360’. I think it has the potential to go global in terms of content. Here’s a platform where I have a boy who can solve algebraic equations, a girl who can skip, somebody who likes gardening or a girl who can cook. All are treated at par. They get the same marks or grades. I tried it at Chikkaballapur and the response was amazing. The basic idea is that every kid is special. I’m planning to take it to other districts. I’m also doing the next edition of ‘Weekend With Ramesh’.
