Confident start
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Dinaker, the debutante director, makes a good beginning with Jothe Jotheyali
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WHAT'S COOKING? Sudip's new film, No.73. Shanti Nivas, is a feel-good movie based on Bawarchi
Debutante director Dinaker (Darshan's brother) makes a pretty confident start with Jothe Jotheyali. It's about marital discord after fervent courtship.
For someone who served as an apprentice to B.C. Gowrishanker, the film is technically tardy. What saves the film and makes it endearing in parts is the strong screenplay and pithy dialogue.
The reconciliation scenes could have been better handled but the bottom line is that the film is a success and you can't argue with that.
The lead pair, Prem and Ramya, make a good-looking couple and handle the emotional scenes with ease. Prem falters in the drunken scene but if he doesn't get carried away and is judicious in his selection of films, he will be around for some time.
With producers shouting themselves hoarse about greedy stars, the flip side of the success of JJ is that the leading lady of the film, Ramya has not been paid in full. The irony is that the producer happens to be a big star and knows how it feels to be short-changed.
In fact Darshan refused to lend his voice for his last release till his dues were settled.
"I reduced my price because it was a colleagues' production. They offered to share the spoils with me if the film succeeded but I just want the amount agreed upon," says the peeved actress.
"I don't even have an agreement because it was all done in good faith. Now they don't take my calls and even if they do, give the most inane of excuses like waiting for their share from the distributors. I completed the film four months ago."
It's difficult to be ruthlessly professional when you know a producer personally but some lessons are expensive. The fallout of this episode is that Ramya will start doubting the intentions of genuine producers. The industry is pervaded with people wearing plastic smiles and synthetic emotions. What it does succeed is in making you wary of the wolves in sheep clothing.
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Sudeep after some apprehension about opposition from the producer's council has started shooting for his second directorial venture, No.73. Shanti Nivas another feel good movie based on Bawarchi.
Deepa, his heroine in My Autograph again plays the lead with Anu Prabhaker. Sudeep was planning his version of Godfather and being a scrupulous producer had bought the rights of Ramgoplal Verma's Sarkar but suddenly decided on this light-hearted film about a chef. The first schedule in Somwarpet will last for a month.
The producer's council was reluctant to allow new films to goon floors but relented because Sudeep had spent money and had planned a long schedule.
S. SHIVA KUMAR
sshivu@yahoo.com
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