Year of the setting star
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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It was a year of few hits and many misses. There were also controversies galore. But the saddest moment of the year was the passing away of Rajkumar, the greatest icon of the Kannada film industry
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Photo: The Hindu Archives
ICONIC SONG A still from Sampattige Sawal, the film, which cemented Rajkumar's reputation as a singing star with Yaare Koogadali
The year seems to have sped by, but not before leaving a trail of sorrow and a sense of loss, both personal and financial. There was turmoil too which seems to strike only the Kannada film industry with unfailing regularity. Producers are at loggerheads with the daily wage workers. The deadlock remains unresolved. Production of films has come to a grinding halt.
The year, in fact, started on an ominous note for the most enduring icon of Kannada cinema, Dr. Raj Kumar. He lost his brother Varadaraj, who was his best friend too. That was followed by the death of Dr. Raj's arch on-screen rival, Vajramuni. It was touching to watch Raj break down at the sight of the veteran actor's body.
Then the industry suffered a bigger blow in the death of Dr. Raj himself. This was followed by a trail of terror that the star would not have imagined his so-called fans were capable of. The last rites of the most humble and soft-spoken star were performed amidst chaos and violence. Kannada cinema had lost its most charismatic star and the film industry was left without a level-headed leader they could look up to in times of crisis and celebration. The other notable film personalities who passed away were S. Ramesh, T.V. Sudheendra, Jaishree, `Mobile' Srinivas, Pattabhirama Reddy and Sri Vidya, a Tamil actress who also acted in many Kannada films.
Around 69 films were released during the year. Quality was as usual the causality. Directors depended more on their DVD players than their creativity. A.M.R. Ramesh's Cyanide was a slick take on the last, turbulent days before the tracking down of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins. The film was an average grosser. Only Sudeep's My Autograph succeeded at the box-office. "It's the only film in recent times where every aspect was praised," says Sudeep whose commercial venture at the fag end of the year, Hubbali, failed. Another surprise hit was Jothe Jotheyali, directed by Darshan's brother. It was a slow starter, which turned out to be a grosser. Then there was the sleazy Rambha, an amateurish flick, which had the desperate panting for more. Not many gave any chance to Vinod Raj's Kannada Kanda, but sheer curiosity probably turned the film into a mild hit, which is supposedly semi autobiographical and a controversial one at that!
Under a cloud
The stars were hiding behind a cloud cover. The worst was from Ravichandran who had Panduranga Vittala, Hatavadhi, Aham Premasmi, Odahuttidhavalu, Ravi Shastri and Neelakanta. Never known for his histrionic abilities, Ravi's dependence on remakes is not working especially since his choice is mostly outdated. He could do well to put on his thinking cap. The same goes for Upendra who is stuck in a rut. His Uppi Dada MBBS was the only version of the original, which failed, while the technically savvy but shoddily made Aishwarya just about covered it's cost. Thandhege Takka Maga was another remake that failed. None of Darshan's films were big hits but nor did they lose money. Puneet had Ajay an average grosser. Ganesh, a TV host, made a mark in Chellata.
The biggest dud came from Shivaraj Kumar whose ambitious Gandugali Kumara Rama sank without a trace leaving the poor producer and the industry in gloom. Shivanna's Ashoka didn't do well either. There was Ramya Chaitrakala from Sunil Kumar Desai and the juvenile Julie in the failures list. Add Shri and Miss California to that list.
Ramya was the undisputed queen with Jothe Jotheyali. She had two terrible films in Julie and Thananam Thananam, but with Rakshita announcing her retirement, there seems to be no rival in sight.
Average grosser include Mata, Sevanti Sevanti, Honeymoon Express, Thavarina Siri, Chellata, Datta, Ajay, Sirivantha and Suntargali. There was the child prodigy Kishen's C/O Footpath, which was a laudable effort.
On the positive side a film producer, H.D. Kumaraswamy, became the Chief Minister of the State and promptly announced a few sops. Prema got married, but still has a couple of releases.
Controversies dogged the industry. First it was actress Jayamala unwittingly claiming that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple. There was Rakshita's face-off with the press over what she claimed was a very personal function at home. The star even refused to accompany the crew of her last film for a shoot abroad. It took the intervention of industry elders for her to relent.
At the end of the year, launching of new films has come to a standstill with a solution nowhere in sight for the industry deadlock. Stars are catching up on things they always wanted to do. Dr. Raj's absence is being felt. Like Vishnuvardhan confessed, he would have negotiated an amicable settlement agreeable to both sides. The year 2006 will be remembered for the death of the biggest superstar Kannada cinema will ever have. Everything else pales.
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