Actors don’t belong in multiplexes: Doddanna

Doddanna with his wife Shantha, children and grandchildren.

Doddanna made his debut in 1982. He has acted in 800 films.

Doddanna acted with Upendra in 'Katari Veera Surasundarangi'.

With a four-decade-old career and 800 films behind him, Doddanna is a presence in Kannada films. He has acted with the top stars, and in many films, forms a hit comedy pair with Jaggesh and Sadhu Kokila.

Doddanna spent his formative years in Santhepete near Arsikere in Hassan district. He completed his middle school and high school in Arsikere.

The youngest of three boys, Doddanna was influenced in his growing years by his brothers-- S Basavaraju and S Rachanna, and his teacher Mohammed Ali, who won a President’s medal.

Doddanna took baby steps into theatre when he donned the role of a girl in a play titled ‘Civil Marriage’, directed by his teacher Ramesh. With his brothers, he soon became an active member of Vighneshwara Kala Sangha, an amateur theatre troupe in Hassan. This experience enriched his knowledge about acting and what goes on behind the camera. “We performed across the state and acted in some of the finest plays. This gave me confidence and strengthened my resolve to become an actor,” Doddanna told Showtime.

Doddanna got a job as a welder at Mysore Iron and Steel, Bhadravati, in 1968. “Here, my friends and I started a theatre group called Gandharva Ranga. We regularly travelled to Bengaluru to watch plays directed by B V Karanth,” he recalls.

That is how he got to see Girish Karnad’s ‘Hayavadana’ and Chandrashekar Kambara’s ‘Jokumaraswamy.’ “Drama troupes had a large following in those days. It was around this time that I got an offer to act in a film. I was interviewed by director Siddalingaiah. It didn’t need too much effort. I was selected,” he says.

He made his debut in films with Koodi Balidare Swarga Sukha in 1982. In subsequent years, he acted in Telugu and Tamil too. Doddanna has acted alongside the biggest Kannada stars, including Rajkumar, Shankar Nag, Anant Nag, Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh.

Firm foundation

Doddanna says he learnt patience and commitment during his theatre days. “Your audiences don’t connect with you unless you are immersed in your role. In theatre, from the time the curtains open to the time they drop, you have to sustain the same enthusiasm,” he says.

He finds cinema more easy going, with space between shots. Among his most memorable films, Doddanna lists ‘Belli Kalungura’, ‘Kalla Malla,’ ‘Lockup Death’, ‘Katari Veera Surasundarangi.’ His last film with Ambareesh was ‘Ambi Ning Vayassaytho.’ “Looking back, I feel that I have achieved a lot. But I believe that learning never ends and there’s more to be done,” he adds.

He has a great rapport with all the actors. But there are a handful of those with whom he shares a close bond. “There was always plenty of laughter, happiness and food whenever I shot with Ambareesh. The sets would be like a party zone. There was never a dull moment when he was around,” says Doddanna.

He recalls how dedicated Rajkumar was to his work. “You just had to say ‘action!’ and he would forget the world and become his role. He was a walking university, and one who knew no arrogance. He loved and trusted everybody,” says Doddanna. Shankar Nag is another favourite. “He never wasted a minute. There were times when he worked without food and rest. I never saw him eat in peace. He was constantly ideating to see how he could better whatever he had on hand,” he says. Vishnuvardhan, he recalls, took everybody along and always made sure his co-stars were comfortable. “I am humbled to have worked with such great souls,” says Doddanna.

Among the younger actors, he has worked with Yash, Sriimurali, Puneeth, Darshan, Shivarajkumar, Ramesh Aravind, Sudeep, Ravichandran, and Nagarjuna in Telugu.

Single screen magic
Technology has made life easier for filmmakers. But Doddanna says he belongs to the old school, where the real test for an actor lies in the audience coming to single-screen theatres.

“Actors don’t belong in multiplexes. Nothing matches the whistles we get from those who come to single-screen theatres,” he says.

Karnataka is among the very few states where films in all languages run well. “While we embrace other languages, we must also preserve Kannada and its culture,” he says.

Family life

Doddanna says his eldest brother S Basavaraju is like his father and has been a guiding force. Another brother S Rachanna was in the army and has been posted in different places across the country. Doddanna is married to Shantha and they have two daughters and a son.