Moving on
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He's not happily resting on his laurels with the success of My Autograph. Sudeep has many projects lined up
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Sudeep is one busy man. When he's not shooting he's busy basking in the warm feedback that My Autograph has generated. "He has a bad back," says the concerned wife, after he's comeback after a gruelling four days of fights. He's built a tastefully designed, but cluttered office on the first floor. Sudeep nurses an exotic health drink while I, the mere mortal, settles for a cup of hot coffee. There is a calm on this adventurous actor's face that only success and satisfaction can bring.
"I have been working for ten years and have earned through my acting assignments but I was only repaying what I'd lost thanks to production. I'm seeing money with My Autograph. The risk has paid off. I liked the film because it was different from the usual technically slick commercial film. It made sense. It's made people nostalgic. A lot of people call and tell me they're trying to trace their old friends. Audiences' liking a film on the whole is rare. "
Sudeep's enormous driveway is always choc-a-bloc with cars of all shapes and hues but then there's a new entrant. An air-conditioned make-up van. On one of our previous meetings I remember one of his aides trying to dissuade him from buying a van because it brought bad luck. Sudeep smiles. "I'm not superstitious. They said an actor should not buy a Mercedes. I have one. You are not supposed to work on a Tuesday. I did. I don't believe in astrology. I believe every superstition is man made. I'm curious and like to read about the reasons for these superstitions. There are a lot of people out there waiting to make money out of your weaknesses. We're scared and ironically we take the help of another human being who's going to die too. Everybody goes through bad times. Face it and you will come out of it. Everything is ephemeral. I pray to God only to give the strength to tide over difficult times. Why are there so many divorces even when horoscopes are matched? There are so many cases of people dying on their way back from Tirupathi due to an accident. Superstitions are for the weak. I believe the make-up van is a necessity for an actor. There should be some sense of mystery about stars. You are not to be seen too often in public. We keep shooting on the roads a lot. What am I supposed to do between shots? How do I eat my lunch? Raj Kumar was such a big star because you didn't get to see him too often. Even we in the industry didn't get to see him though he was our idol. "
Sudeep has just watched Spielberg's Munich and can't stop going gaga over the ace director's repertoire. I suggest that no actor is complete till he can carry off a comedy. "I somehow sense that I possess a good sense of timing. I would definitely love to do a full-length comedy but right now I'm fascinated by Godfather and am planning my version. I've not read the book but the film is fascinating. I've bought the rights of Sarkar just for safety's sake. I've also bought the rights of Cheran's Thavamai Thavamirundhu because like Cheran I too feel mothers are given too much importance while a father's role s neglected."
I leave because I know he's eager to spend time with his wife and daughter before another back-breaking schedule of dances for Hubballi.
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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