KCN Chandru pulled off big feats in Kannada films

He stepped into his father’s shoes to produce some of the biggest hits ever in southern cinema

The Kannada film industry lost a stalwart when producer KCN Chandrashekar passed away at 69 due to multiple organ failure on Monday.

With the guidance of his father KCN Gowda, a legendary producer, Chandrashekar had bankrolled some of the biggest Kannada blockbusters. Hailing from Doddaballapur, Gowda had an intense passion for films. Starting out as an exhibitor with Navarang theatre in Bengaluru, he ventured into distribution and production in the late 1960s.

Collaborating with Puttanna Kanagal and Rajkumar, the biggest star of the time, Gowda gave all-time hits like ‘Belli Moda’ (1967), ‘Kasturi Nivasa’ (1971), ‘Sharapanjara’ (1971), and ‘Bangarada Manushya’ (1972).

Chandrashekar carried forward the legacy of KCN Movies with cult classics like ‘Bangarada Panjara’ (1974), ‘Daari Tappida Maga’ (1975), ‘Babruvahana’ (1977), and ‘Huliya Halina Mevu’ (1979). “My father always wanted the best and Chandru had the same approach,” KCN Mohan, who now runs Navarang theatre, told Showtime.

“My father would plan the production and Chandru would execute it with great involvement,” recalls Mohan, also a producer. He remembers his brother’s commitment to Hunsur Krishnamurthy’s ‘Babruvahana’, the mythological epic that set a benchmark for grand productions. Chandrashekar’s daring attitude matched the director’s vision, he says.

“The war scenes went on for many days at Red Hills near Chennai. Chandru worked hard. Rajkumar played dual roles and shooting double action wasn’t easy back then. We even erected an underwater set,” he recollects.

Chandrashekar enhanced KCN Movies’ reputation as a maker of lavish projects. “‘Daari Tappida Maga’ was shot during the Ganesha festival in Mumbai. The city was crowded but we pulled off the shoot. It was also the first Kannada film to be shot at the Oberoi hotel in Mumbai,” says a proud Mohan.

Mohan reveals how Gowda had an unerring eye for strong scripts. “Puttanna Kanagal’s ‘Belli Moda’ was struggling for release because distributors didn’t like its heart-rending climax. My father sensed the uniqueness of the story and decided to release it. Puttanna’s ‘Sharapanjara’ also threw up logistical issues. It was in colour and we would just get 18 rolls of raw stock. We had to get an import licence as well. Puttanna demanded a Fiat car and my father bought it without any hesitation. He was willing to go to any lengths for a good film,” he explains.

Renowned filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli saw the same hunger for excellence in Chandrashekar. While serving as the president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), Chandrashekar looked to bring in a new kind of narrative to Kannada cinema, says Kasaravalli.

“He always spoke about improving the content. He encouraged newcomers,” he says. A script-writing workshop organised by Chandrashekar was popular lyricist Jayant Kaikini’s first association with the industry, reveals Kasaravalli.

“As the KFCC chief, Chandrashekar asked me to arrange everything for the workshop. Well-known filmmakers like Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam and Mahesh Bhatt came over. Jayant Kaikini, working in Mumbai then, also became a part of it. The workshop aimed to encourage young writers,” he says.

Kasaravalli appreciates Chandrashekar for his holistic thinking. “He was a key part of the anti-dubbing movement. He even supported the book ‘Kannada Chalanachitra Itihasa’ (History of Kannada Cinema), which got embroiled in controversy later. So Gowda and his sons were not just money makers. They were enterprising producers backing good content,” says the multiple-National Award-winning director.

Great hospitality

KCN Movies shared a long-standing relationship with the Rajkumar family. “It’s the banner’s hospitality that impressed everybody,” says veteran cinematographer BS Basavaraj.

“Gowda and Chandrashekar later made sure everybody on the sets had the best quality food. They were famous for arranging a variety of dishes, which impressed Rajkumar,” he says.

Basavaraj found Chandrashekar to be a constant learner. "He would always try to understand the pulse of the audience. He analysed why films of other languages worked and looked to wisely incorporate the same approach to our films," he says.

Nagarahole Mishap

A fire accident that killed eight elephants at the Nagarhole forest during the shoot of ‘Huliya Halina Mevu’ is a low point in Chandrashekar’s career.

“We had taken permission to film 50 elephants in a scene. The elephants were to run towards the camera after seeing the fire. But, perhaps shaken by the presence of people, they ran in the opposite direction. Chandru, who owned the responsibility for the incident, paid compensation and fought a case as well,” says Mohan.

Other milestones

KCN Chandrashekar was the chief of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce multiple times. He headed the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as well.

He was a member of the Board of Film Certification for six years.

KCN family owns three theatres: Navarang and Urvashi in Bengaluru and Rajkamal in Doddaballapur.

He was part of the National Film Awards jury.

His biggest hits

Babruvahana

Daari Tappida Maga

Huliya Haalina Mevu

Shankar Guru (co-producer)

Antha (Distributor)