Big bucks, bad blood
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The recent ugly episode involving Ravichandran is evidence of the bad times in the Kannada industry
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STAR STRUCK The successful Prem with other stalwarts of the industry
With the death of Dr. Raj Kumar the Kannada film industry is in fragments. The simmering discontent is rearing its ugly hood. The episode where Ravichandran was reportedly threatened should serve as an eye-opener. Times have changed for the worse. There was a time when a star of Kamal Hassan's stature would stand up with folded hands when AVM boss Saravanan walked in. Things have gone topsy turvy. Today stars call the shots and producers are fly by night operators out to make a fast buck and enjoy a few minutes of fame. Anybody with a bag full of the big bucks can produce a film paving the way for all sorts of riff raff. In this instance, the producer threatening the star is as deplorable as the fans going on a rampage. Stars are to be blamed too for signing films indiscriminately without checking the antecedents of the producer when a few extra bucks are dangled.
Then there's Rakshita refusing to go on an outdoor shoot abroad because she was apprehensive about her prospective mother-in-law's reaction. Now that's unprofessional. You can see that the girl is in a quandary. It's not easy for stars to fade away into domesticity. They are limelight moths. It took industry elders to smoothen the ruffled feathers. The interesting news that emerged was that Prem, Rakshita's beau kept referring to her as his wife during the meeting! The easiest solution would have been to buy a ticket for the worried mother-in-law to act as chaperone!
Going strong
If you go strictly by recent box-office returns Prem should be the biggest star in Kannada cinema. In a world where fortunes fluctuate every Friday, two Prem starrers are still going strong. Nenapirali is turning out to be truly unforgettable for the makers and it's hero. Pallavi theatre which seldom shows Kannada films has re-released the film and it's doing well all over again. Prem has reasons to be elated about this. The theatre is right behind the school he studied in and in the locality he grew up. "It gives me immense satisfaction to see my hoarding at the theatre," says the modest actor. For producer Ajay Gowda it was a pleasant surprise. "They asked for the film to be shown during Rajyotsava week and thanks to the collections the morning shows are still on," says the producer who's just returned from a long holiday down under. The script for his next film Aparoopa is ready and director Ratnaja is having jamming sessions with Hamsalekha while looking for a young cast. The makers are keen on introducing newcomers again. Prem meanwhile has signed Savi Savi Nenapu produced by S.V. Babu and directed by Santosh Pai. "It's an interesting romantic tale," says the actor who's wrapping up work for Pallakki. The heroine is a newcomer from Punjab.
One more
Vijay Raghavendra has acquired the rights to remake the delightful Telugu hit, Bommarillu. This feel good love story should not go wrong as long as the director sticks to the original and does not start using his brains. The heroine has a once in a lifetime role as a feisty youngster but it's known whom Vijay is zeroing in on.
S. SHIVA KUMAR
sshivu@yahoo.com
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