Is ire over KGF team casting Prabhas justified?

Fans are upset with Hombale Films for not showcasing a Kannada hero in ‘Salaar’

In his book ‘Conversation With Mani Ratnam’, author Baradwaj Rangan makes an interesting point to the famous auteur. “With your earlier films, it appeared that the characters came first and then you spun a story around them. But in ‘Roja’, it looks like you decided to do something ‘Indian’ and then worked around that.”

Before ‘Roja’ (1992), Mani Ratnam was a nationally acclaimed Tamil filmmaker but after the patriotic thriller’s success with the Hindi belt, he came closer to doing his first exclusive Bollywood film.

Six years later, when he made ‘Dil Se’, the Tamil audience felt betrayed that the director they held close to their hearts was now seen as an ‘Indian’ filmmaker.

“‘Roja’ and ‘Bombay’ had done well in the North, so I was a little more favourable to the idea (of doing Hindi films). I could do the film that I wanted and I could reach across to a wider audience,” he explained to the national award-winning film critic later in the book.

Last week, Hombale Films’ announcement of their next venture triggered a debate on their decision to cast a non-Kannada hero. After ‘KGF’, Hombale Films and director Prashanth Neel will be working with Prabhas in ‘Salaar’, a pan-Indian film to be released in several languages.

Irate fans circulated the hashtag #boycotthombalefilms on social media as they felt a Kannada production house should have opted for another large-scale, exclusive Kannada film to further enhance Sandalwood’s reputation at the national and global levels. The disappointment of fans is understandable. But were they harsh on the team? Definitely, yes.

In earlier times, it was considered an envious graduation when a regional filmmaker made a Hindi film. Because, as silly as it may seem, Bollywood was and to an extent, even now, is seen as the face of Indian cinema. Even for the best of filmmakers, it wasn’t easy to make inroads into the Hindi film industry. Mani Ratnam had to wait for 10 films and six hits before planning an ‘Indian’ film like ‘Roja’.

Today, times have changed and opportunities are greater. The pan-India phenomenon has encouraged filmmakers to tap fast-expanding markets across the country. The success of ‘Enthiran’ and ‘Baahubali’ (Beginning & Conclusion) has shown that Bollywood isn’t the only destination for directors with big dreams. Given this, if people didn’t predict the next move from team ‘KGF’, they were only being naive.

Even in Kannada, the urge to deliver content for a larger audience has existed for ages.

The legendary Puttanna Kanagal directed Hindi films while Yogaraj Bhat, after the success of ‘Mungaru Male’, attempted to make a mark in Bollywood. So, it all boils down to the creator’s choice. In this case, Prashanth Neel, director of two well-mounted Kannada films, has decided to push his boundaries and aim bigger.

The casting of Prabhas has a rationale. After ‘Baahubali’, the actor is definitely the No 1 pan-India star. The fact that ‘Saaho’ collected close to Rs 450 crore, despite being widely panned by critics and people alike, shows his popularity.

Prabhas has been on a signing spree since then. He is doing two Hindi films: ‘Adipurush’ and ‘Radhe Shayam’. He will also be seen in a yet-to-be-titled film helmed by Telugu director Nag Ashwin, who calls the project a ‘pan-world’ one. So it was but natural for the ‘KGF’ team to cast the man most in demand.

In hindsight, who from the Kannada industry could have been picked for the film’s genre? There is no clear-cut answer. Sudeep has always been cast in well-written villainous roles in other industries. He hasn’t proved himself as a ‘star-actor’ in the pan-India zone. Darshan has provided hits, but his films haven’t travelled beyond Karnataka horizons. Puneeth Rajkumar is a classy performer whose strength is anchoring family dramas.

The reason to not rope in Yash again could be a creative call. The poster of ‘Salaar’ promises another violent, action thriller like ‘KGF’. To avoid a sense of déjà vu, it is better to not repeat your heroes.

It’s too early to judge ‘Salaar’ but it could increase opportunities for technicians and actors from Sandalwood. Because this is an ‘Indian’ film from a Kannada team.

The insecure fans must understand that just like ‘Madras Talkies’ is recognised for its contribution to the Tamil Industry, Hombale Films will be talked about for their work in Kannada in the long run. In fact, their upcoming big project is the Puneeth-starrer ‘Yuvarathna’, to be released in Kannada and Telugu.

Puneeth had Tweeted: “With open arms, namma Kannada nadige (to the Kannada land) I welcome you, Prabhas.” This is the best way to look at the film. A Kannada team hasn’t left home. It has invited the best from outside into its world.