An actor and an activist
K.R. GANESH
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While Ashok never made it big on the silver screen, he has been actively involved in improving the conditions of film workers. He talks about the latest impasse between film crew and producers
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Photo: Murali Kumar K.
JUST CAUSE Ashok: `If a truthful campaign against feudalism is dubbed as arrogance, so be it'
Yesteryear actor Ashok, the son of a police inspector, hails from Anekal, close to Bangalore. To become a film star was his childhood ambition. No sooner had he completed his degree, than he applied to NSD, FTTI, Pune and the Madras Film Institute. He got admission at the Madras Film Institute and even topped the course.
Almost immediately, he plunged into films and the first Kannada film in which he acted was Hennu Samsarada Kannu opposite Sridevi.Somehow, however, luck was never in favour of this actor. He acted in Sanadi Appanna, a milestone film, but for Ashok, nothing much changed. Till 1985, he managed to play lead roles in films such as Vijayavani, Archana, Ranganayaki, Chellida Rakta, Taayiya Madilalli, Raja Maharaja, and many others. Even the controversial Krantiyogi Basavanna did not give a major boost to his career.
Apart from his career as an actor, Ashok took part in most movements of the time including the Gokak movement and the Raitha Sangha activities. In the meanwhile, Ashok also set up a small-scale industry, which is his source of income to this day.
In 1986, he became the founder president of the Karnataka Film Artists, Workers and Technicians Union. In his 30-year association with the industry, even though he never became a `star' he remained an active participant in all pro-people's movements, though he never identified himself with any political party. Ashok is a rarity particularly at a time when most film stars make full use of their popularity to gain political mileage.
With liberalisation, the hordes of multinational companies came into the country. Owing to their money power, governments have been under tremendous pressure to relax labour laws. As a result of which not a single labour movement has seen success in the recent times. In such a context, an unswerving protest put up by the Karnataka Film Workers Union has cornered all attention.
Ashok, the president of the association, gave patient and detailed answers to the recent impasse. "In our Federation, there are light boys, assistants, drivers... who are crucial to a film unit. The Federation has a problem with the undemocratic attitude of about ten producers, who continue to be feudal in their mentality, and not against all of them," explains Ashok.
The agitation was triggered off by Rockline Venkatesh's brother hurling abuse at the driver in an undignified manner. Now, in retrospect, Ashok says that the industry should have reacted strongly to the murder of Chidambara Shetty 10 years ago. "We failed to see it is as an emerging trend of goondaism in the industry."
Not about money
Ashok says how their fight is for the dignified treatment of labourers and not at all over issue of money. He says some producers are in the habit of talking down to workers using abusive language. And when the workers retaliate and demand their rightful share of dignity, producers quickly term them as drunkards. "When this particular incident occurred, we at the Union decided to assert ourselves and hence determined to boycott work. It was an emotional decision and it probably was wrong, because in the next two days there were about eight films that had their muhurats lined up," avers the actor. Naturally, producers were anxious, and fully aware of this, the Union called off its strike that very night at 10 p.m. To put producers through huge losses was never on their agenda. But the very fact that workers demanded to be treated fairly, became an issue of ego for producers. "They wanted me to step down."
The producers' association even put forward a condition that only if Ashok steps down were they willing for an amicable settlement. "Around this time, during a meeting, some producers spoke at length of how they had to cough up huge sums as remuneration to the stars, non-availability of theatres and that they were subject to torture by labourers." They didn't stop at just that, but went on to make irresponsible statements of how they would put productions on hold, would dub other language films into Kannada and would even have cut outs of film stars from other States. "But they soon realised how rash their proclamations were and the Association immediately declared that these were individual opinions and not that of the entire body," explains Ashok. It however exposed the attitude of the producers and the Union decided to get on with its struggle against the feudal mentality and anti-Kannada stance of the producers. Moreover, it also negated the almost four-decade struggle of personalities such as Dr. Rajkumar, G.V. Iyer and Aa.Na. Kru, who fought tooth and nail against dubbing. "We decided to boycott the productions of these producers, but we continue to work for others who respect our fight for human dignity," clarifies Ashok.
"After all we are not asking for anything special. In a democracy, it's only fair that every citizen gets his due," asserts Ashok, guided by a strong sense of right and wrong.
But then aren't there stories about Ashok being very high-handed and stubborn? "If a truthful campaign against feudalism is dubbed as arrogance so be it," says the unperturbed actor-activist.
Unionising workers
He recalls how in 1986 he collected labourers involved in various aspects of production, formed the Union and became its president. "I have neither an axe to grind, nor do I make a profit out of this." From his initial days Ashok never confined himself to the glamorous world of acting, but was in constant touch with ground realities. Most importantly, he is someone who has rested his faith in the Gandhian mode of protest. "Till date, all our agitations have been peaceful. We have never resorted to violence or to inflammatory speeches. And every single decision that we have taken in all these years has never been an isolated one. We have all sat together, discussed and only then have we arrived at aconclusion," he says emphatically.
After so many years of working closely with the Union, having given it momentum and putting it on the right path, Ashok is willing to give up the post of president if actors like Ambareesh, Vishnuvardhan or Ravichandran come forward to take his position. "Even without me, the Union will work smoothly. I have the satisfaction of having achieved at least that much," he says with confidence.
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