'I'd like to direct a love story'

The elusive actor completed the shooting of his first Kannada film Yaksha recently, in which he plays a tough cop.
“I took this film because of a friend’s suggestion. The director of this movie, Ramesh Bhagvat was also chasing me for the last eight months and was determined to cast me. Finally, after seeing the script, I gave him the green signal,” says Nana in his usual deep voice.

“I play an honest cop and had a good time working in the film. I used to write down the dialogues in Hindi and mug them up before facing the camera. Sometimes, they would place a big writing board with the dialogues, behind the camera for my convenience. I also shot for a song with Yogish, who is a brilliant dancer,” he adds.
The actor has no other offers from Sandalwood, but says he will consider any good role.
“As an actor, I can’t draw a line. If I am offered a meaty role, I will definitely consider it. I choose my films after seeing the story, director, co-artistes and lastly, the remuneration I get. In some circumstances, the latter can be adjusted, but not poor script and roles,” he clarifies.

On the Bollywood front, he is looking forward to the release of Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti.
“It is a political thriller inspired by Mahabharata. My character in the film resembles that of Sri Krishna, one of the most brilliant politicians in the epic. The film has a huge cast — Ajay Devgan, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah and and Manoj Bajpai,” says Nana, who also has plans to direct a movie.

“After Prahar, I wasn’t sure of directing another movie. But now, I would like to direct a love story, set in the early 50s. I have not decided on the cast yet and will soon disclose the other details of the movie.”
Nana may be known for his brash dialogues and dynamic roles on screen, but in reality, he is a different person altogether.

He is very humble and amiable and still feels uncomfortable in front of a large crowd.
“I don’t fit into the lifestyle of large cities. I am a village guy. That’s why I live in my big farmhouse away from all the chaos of the city life. I like to read, paint and am a big fan of cricket,” he says and turns towards his unit members to ask them about the latest score.
“Bangalore has given some of the most brilliant cricketers to the country.
G R Vishwanath, Chandrashekar, Anil Kumble and Srinath were all unique in their own way.

Kumble and Srinath are the most well-behaved cricketers and I simply love seeing them being so humble on the field,” he concludes.