JOIN USHe has completed a successful decade in Sandalwood, crossed the ‘25 film mark’ and yet says he has just started. Rightfully given the title ‘Golden Star’, Ganesh is also the most affable and amicable star, and an actor who makes this conversation seem like a breeze. A self-admitted bundle of energy who has the urge to do something all the time, Ganesh is a delight to speak to as he tells us more in this exclusive tête-à-tête.
Ganesh started working in television initially and debuted in films with a lead role in the 2006 film Chellata. That year also saw him play the lead in Sandalwood’s all-time blockbuster film Mungaru Male, that was screened continually for 865 days — a record in Kannada cinema! This movie set the stage for several others including Cheluvina Chittara, Gaalipata, Maleyali Jotheyali, Shravani Subramanya and Mungaru Male 2, among many others.
So, I start by asking Ganesh how he reflects back on this journey to date. “I feel I have to do a lot more. I am looking forward to doing varied work, and as I do three films each year, I am hoping that at least one is different. It could be experimental but with commercial elements, and I am in discussion with production houses to see how that will pan out.”
Last year, he had four releases in Style King, Zoom, Mungaru Male 2 and Sundaranga Jaana. “Every year has been good. 2016 saw both box office and critical acclaim, so it does feel very good, and I am happy. But let me tell you a secret: I don’t really watch my movies, except at the dubbing or re-recording stage, as I find a lot of flaws in my performance and feel that I could have done better. In fact, I feel that I can improvise with every film and that is what keeps me going,” he explains. The year 2016 also saw him be part of a sequel to the hit Mungaru Male. Talking about it, he says, “While it is a fantastic franchisee, it is important to keep the brand value intact, and there is pressure to perform well to live up to the expectations.”
Recently, he completed shooting of Mugulu Nage that has him teaming up with Yogaraj Bhat once again after Mungaru Male and Gaalipata. He says the movie has turned out very well. “We have done our best and I guess it will satisfy the audience. With Yogaraj Bhat and me, just like how the audience has a lot of expectations, we also have the same level of expectation from each other, and we discuss every scene and dialogue. It’s turned out as a fresh film that will be magical on screen — whether it is the emotion, romance or action,” he says.
The movie will release after the release of Pataki. He says Pataki will be different too as he plays a cop for the first time. “I am playing an ACP for the first time, and this is a complete entertainer. It was a great learning experience to play a cop on screen. Also, the character is shown as an entertaining corrupt cop who changes post the interval, so we can take the audience on a journey through the story,” Ganesh states.
With a large body of work and aspirations to do things differently, has he changed the way he selects scripts? “Yes, the idea is for both the audience and me to have a new experience, and Pataki is an example of that. So when I listen to a script, I try and make a judgement based on what is the new thing I can do. Of the 12-15 scripts I hear, it is about selecting three or four of different genres, so that the audience is entertained,” he avers.
Ganesh also says that today the audience is receptive of varied cinema and has evolved to accept unusual scripts and stories. “Now we can see makers doing so much different work like Pawan Kumar’s U-Turn or Lucia. Also, the number of multiplexes has increased over the decade and ticket values have gone up, but audiences want to watch movies in luxury. All this helps us to have better budgets and locations apart from investing in designers to craft the look of the entire cast that adds value to the film,” he says.
Likewise, he is also happy to be back on television with the third season of the hit show Super Minute. “This is a hit franchise which will take us into many homes. What I like is that it has a social angle and we are able to help someone in need, maybe educate a person or help an ailing person with medical care, and that is immensely satisfying. I am very emotionally attached to the show as it helps me connect with real people and understand what they need, and that is something that money can never buy,” Ganesh says.
Ganesh has also become active on social media over the last six to seven months. He says it feels great when he connects with the audiences directly. “As soon as I uploaded the trailer of Pataki, it got a whopping two million views, and when the film releases, even if half of them come to the theatres, it is great. Also, fans are updated directly with real news here,” he explains.
But what about the flip side of social media, I ask him, and he is clear that he will not respond to unnecessary comments and prefers to let his work do all the talking. He also admits he is in talks with Pawan Kumar for his next film based on nicotine. Ganesh says, “Yes, I have read the script twice, and we are discussing how to take it forward. Pawan is a great guy and we know each other from a long time. In fact, he has acted in my movie Circus too.”
Ganesh is all set to start shooting for Chamak directed by Suni, and then move on to Orange to be directed by Prashanth Raj. Keeping busy is second nature to Ganesh, and he says he enjoys spending time with his kids when at home, playing games and watching movies.
Here’s wishing the star with a golden heart more success!