There are probably very few instances in Kannada cinema when a woman has donned the dual responsibility of acting as well as wielding the megaphone for the same film. Priya Hassan, who made her debut in the Kannada film ‘Black and White’ opposite music director Rajesh Ramanath, has turned a director in her very second film ‘Jambada Hudugi’.

It’s in the family
That’s not all. She has taken the onus of producing the film, jointly with the members of her family. Although, she says, she did not ever dream of directing the movie herself. “I am not here to become a director. I always wanted to be an actress and I will remain one,” Priya Hassan clarifies her position on assuming the new role.
The task of directing the film, she says, was thrust on her due to circumstances following differences her production team had with the director Seetharam Karanth. Says Priya, “We saw through his careless and callous attitude during the film-making process. He began drifting away from the prepared script that was handed over to him.
We also came to know from the industry that it was not Karanth who was responsible for the success of ‘Chandramukhi Pranasakhi’ as its director. We had an argument with him, which led to his ouster.”
Added responsibilities
It was at this juncture that Priya stepped into the shoes of a director. She handled additional responsibilities of direction, editing and dubbing all by herself and found the task onerous yet fulfiling.
As a producer, Priya has also handled the initial responsibilities of selecting and buying costumes, picking the right music, dance and casting.
“I believe that the film ‘Jambada Hudugi’ has shaped up well. This is a women-oriented subject and we have tried to portray them as strong individuals in society. The title does not mean pride in the negative sense of the word. It means a girl with self-respect. I have watched the movie a number of times and I am happy with the outcome. The role has given me satisfaction,” she shares.

Producing films
How did Priya get to produce the film? Her entry into films was unexpected though she has always nursed an ambition of achieving something in life. “Basically, the inspiration came from the story and when Nanjundappa narrated it to us, we felt why not produce the film ourselves. We bought the script and worked all the details step-by-step. My mother Gowramma and other members of the family — Balakrishna, Ravi, Raju and Mohan —started this venture together as a family business. Of course, we have made this bold move after carefully studying the industry and the economics involved,” she says.
Priya has also acted in two Tamil films ‘Yellammo Unkkaaga’ and ‘9 Rupayi Note’. It was during her stint in Tamil cinema that she says she was offered the role of Rajnikanth’s daughter in his latest film, but says she missed the opportunity.
‘Jambada Hudugi’ stars Jai Akash (of Telugu ‘Anandam’ fame), Jayanthi, Bhavya, Ramesh Bhat and Yash. Rajesh Ramanath has scored the music and A C Mahendran is the cinematographer.
The film has been shot in locales of Bangalore, Mangalore, Udupi, Malpe, Shivanasamudra and Mysore.
What is the message that she wants to convey through the film?
“Life is a compromise. When you are born into this world, it is also certain that some day, you will die. But, living is something that is inevitable,” she says.