Hiring the right guy is key

Keeping distance

With all communication with the actors expected to be routed through these managers, the latter are becoming more important than the former. And boy, they are good at putting up such a busy facade that they ensure that the stars remain inaccessible.

Actors who prefer to hire a manager, to deal with their itinerary for the day or for the month, reason that this helps them concentrate on their profession. However, there are also a few actors who have dispensed with the concept of a manager and prefer to handle all the calls and think direct communication is better than having a via media.

Metrolife spoke to a cross-section of actors in the film industry on the good and bad of having a manager.

A lot of actors from the Kannada film industry don’t have a manager. They believe in direct communication and reason that it adds a human element to the whole process.

Ramesh Aravind who has been in the industry for more than 25 years believes it’s always better to handle calls on a direct basis. He thinks legal and financial matters can be handled by a manager. “Talking to people directly could land you in trouble but the manager concept won’t work well unless you hire the right guy for the job. A manager must represent you in all respects. The right man in the right place makes all the difference and transparency is key,” reasons Ramesh who delegates a lot of responsibilities to his wife.

The Rajkumar clan has always maintained direct contact with the people of the state. Dr Rajkumar was fondly addressed as annavaru by the people and now his children too share the same rapport with the people. Shivarajkumar who recently celebrated 25 years with his fans sent out an open invitation to the people to come and celebrate with him. “My phone is on through the day and I make sure I answer the calls myself but I turn it off when I come home because that is family time. Personal contact with people gets you closer to them,” says Shivarajkumar.

It’s a different scene with actors in the other language industries. Most of them prefer to get things done through a manager. But they say they take time off to talk to people they know on a personal note. Tamil actor Jiiva thinks actors must be approachable but not necessarily reachable to everyone. “Actors are public figures and he or she can’t have all and sundry calling in. It’s always better to have someone take care of your things because it helps you focus on your work. An actor has boundaries he or she should never cross,” avers Jiiva.

Actors in Bollywood are perhaps the toughest to access and their managers are even tougher to get through to. They have the attitude and don’t think twice before flaunting it. Actress Raveena Tandon excels at multitasking but she thinks a manager would take off half the burden. “I can’t act, take care of my kids, manage my travel and chalk out my dates... seems like impossible to do all these things by myself. I would definitely talk to someone I know on a personal note but I think strangers must be kept at bay,” she signs off.