Living up to a legacy

Avinash Narasimharaju created sculptures not too long ago. In a journey that he describes as “memorable” and “a brilliant experience”, Avinash has become what he prefers to call “an accidental actor”.

The grandson of the legendary Kannada comedian Narasimharaju, incidentally, never set out to be an actor. He began his career with a film which he says was never planned. “I accompanied one of my friends who also happened to be the producer of the film to the shooting location. The actor who was supposed to turn up for the role didn’t come and my friend promptly suggested my name. I was totally unprepared but I did the role and fortunately the reviews turned out well,” he says.

Avinash promptly followed his debut project, ‘Nirantara” (a silent movie),’ with ‘Jugaari' and ‘Maduve Mane’. His latest venture is ‘Last Bus’ is scheduled to release on January 15. “I play one of the six people who get stranded in a haunted house owing to certain circumstances but my character is such that he doesn’t give up so easily. He not only thinks in a very different way from the others in the group but stands by what he believes in,” he says.

However, the test, says Avinash, is when all your beliefs stand challenged before an inexplicable supernatural phenomena. “This is the turning point in the film. Somewhere, you begin to wonder whether you should hold on to your beliefs or succumb to some unknown power?” he explains.

The extraordinary visuals of ‘Last Bus’ has created waves in Sandalwood even before its release. Avinash, who has also doubled up as the art director of the movie confesses, that being a sculptor at heart, helped him visualise the scenes better. “I worked as a sculptor for eight years before I began acting. This gave me the extra edge to make every scene appear different. The constant challenge was to knit together the right elements to bring out the right ambience required in every scene,” Avinash explains.

Having worked on a couple of projects, Avinash says he has now overcome some of his worst fears. “I had very strong inhibitions about a lot of things in the film industry but after having worked in almost all areas of filmmaking, I am now more confident of my abilities. I would say that my role in ‘Last Bus’ has given me a master degree in acting,” he says, “Except distribution, I have worked in almost all the aspects of filmmaking.”   
  
The young actor is also faced with the challenge of living up to his grandfather’s reputation of being one of the best actors in the Kannada film industry. “Yes, people always draw comparisons between my grandfather Narasimharaju and his grandchildren. He has left behind a rich legacy and it is a matter of pride to take after him,” feels Avinash. 

He has already signed his next project, titled ‘Ooty’, which is based on the Cauvery water crisis between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “I essay the role of a labourer and the problems involved when working on the border area of Karnataka and Kerala. It explores a serious issue but also has a love story that is neatly woven in,” he adds.