Only a handful of artistes have the title of their work either as prefix or suffix to their names. Actor K (Kooduvalli) Chandrashekar who passed away in Canada recently is one among such artistes.
Chandrashekar’s name was prefixed with the name of the film that spelt success for him, Edakallu Guddada Mele Chandrashekar; it was directed by Puttanna Kanagal in 1973.
He essayed the character of Nanjunda, a fresh college graduate, who develops a relationship with Madhavi (Jayanti) wife of the retired, injured army captain (Ranga). Puttanna casts Chandru in the role of brash, loud, motorbike riding Nanjunda. He lands in the life of the unhappy Madhavi, and infuses enthusiasm in the life of captain and his wife.
Karnataka :Bengaluru : 29/01/2018 . Actor Chandrashekar and Jayanti in a film still
Puttanna who introduced actors including Vishnuvardhan, Jai Jagadish, Ambarish, Sridhar through significant characters, moulded them into hero material: similarly in the case of Chandru, he offered a critical and complex character to Chandrashekar. Chandrashekar breathed life in to Nanjunda's character. Yesteryear cine goers still hum the song “Santosha, Sangeetha...”, sung by Nanjunda and Madhavi. Critics say that no other actor could have portrayed the character of Nanjunda like Chandru.
Chandru, who made his debut as a child artiste in Namma Makkalu in 1969, had acted in over 40 films in his four decade old film career. Two films in which Chandru acted -- Raju Kannada Medium and 3 Gante, 30 Dina 30 Seconds have hit the screens recently. In his career he produced and directed Purvapara and Kempammana Court Case . These two films testify his concern for quality and social concern.
Karnataka :Bengaluru : 29/01/2018 . Actors Srinath and Chandrashekar.
Chandru, studied in National High School Bengaluru. His teacher B.S. Narayana Rao played a role in Puttanna Kanagal’s Gejje Pooje , introduced Chandru to the celluloid world. He introduced Chandru to R. Nagendra Rao, who was looking for a young boy for his Namma Makkalu. Nagendra Rao was impressed by the audition of Chandru and offered him an important role. Namma Makkalu which was released in 1969 and Ninnolume Namagirali Tande song catapulted the career of Chandru. His small role in Vamsha Vriksha (1973) directed by Karanth and Karnad proved his acting talent. He did not look back since then.
When Puttanna Kanagal called for audition for the role of Ramachari for Nagarahavu , Chandru also stood in the queue. But the role was bagged by Vishnuvardhan. Puttanna, however, did not forget Chandru and offered him the role of Nanjunda in Edakallu Guddadamele .
Vibrant and enthusiastic Chandru made his debut as a child artiste in Namma Makkalu
After his marriage he left for Canada, where his wife Sheela worked. However, his passion for films turned him into a producer. The film was based on the novel of eminent writer M.K. Indira, written in sixties. Trained by Puttanna, he had done a marvellous job in selecting the subject and the characters. Having first-hand experience of living in USA he etched every character with all the details and made them realistic.
His Kempammana Court Case tries to touch upon various socio-economic issues that plague our society. It is about the fight of a righteous lawyer for underdogs in the society. Through this film Chandru proved that the films should transcend from just being entertainers.
BANGALORE, 31/10/2011: Kannada film actor Chandrashekar in Bangalore. Photo: K. Gopinathan 31-10-2011
Recalling his association with Chandru in Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage and Manasa Sarovara directed by Puttanna Kangal, cinematographer for both the films Basavaraju says: “Chandru used to win the hearts of the people around him, because of his concerns and love for cinema.”
