JOIN USPuneeth Rajkumar had a dream. He wanted to produce 100 movies under the banner PRK Productions. His passion for filmmaking came from his mother Parvathamma Rajkumar, who was a stalwart producer in the Kannada film industry.
Along with his wife Ashwini, the actor set up PRK Productions with a vision. The duo aimed to generate films that would transcend boundaries. More importantly, the couple was a pillar of support for youngsters with interesting scripts.
Puneeth’s untimely death has stunned many newcomers, who were eager to showcase their skills under his guidance. The banner has produced four films (‘Kavaludaari’, ‘Mayabazaar 2016’, ‘Law’ and ‘French Biriyani’) so far and has at least five movies ready for release.
It was a bittersweet feeling when PRK Productions released the teaser of ‘Gandhada Gudi’, a film touted to showcase Karnataka’s rich biodiversity. Even as people spoke highly about its visuals, the main man behind the project was a memory.
“The production company is experimental and progressive in approach,” Amoghavarsha, director of the film, tells Showtime. “He was a great person to collaborate with and at many stages of the project, he was open for discussions,” says the filmmaker, who previously made the documentary ‘Wild Karnataka’.
People from the fraternity call ‘Gandhada Gudi’ a stunning effort. The concern for the State’s flaura and fauna runs in the family, notes Amoghavarsha. “Dr Rajkumar sir starred in ‘Gandhada Gudi’ almost 50 years ago. We didn’t know the existence of a forest department back then. After watching ‘Wild Karnataka’, Puneeth was thrilled that a film from our State had got the country talking,” he says.
It was a one-year project and Amoghavarsha saw Puneeth as a curious person with a great sense of technical knowledge. Director Satya Prakash of ‘Rama Rama Re’ fame had a similar observation about the star.
“Right from lighting pattern to visual execution to sound design, he was updated about the latest technology in all departments. Because he regularly watched world cinema and top notch web series,” he says.
Satya’s next, ‘Man of the Match’, is co-produced by PRK Productions. The director recalls Puneeth being excited about the film’s ideology. It takes a satirical dig at how people lack freedom and privacy in today’s world.
He saw Puneeth as a man well aware about his roles. “He was ‘Power Star’ on screen and Appu sir for people from the fraternity. He would dedicate a lot of time to hearing scripts from newcomers. He knew that the production house will leave a legacy only when it backs many projects. So he was ready to take risks and encourage unique content,” explains Satya.
He was a ray of hope for artistes without godfathers. Vamsidhar Bhogaraju, a stand up comedian, didn’t know where to go after writing his first film. His close friend and popular comedian and actor Danish Sait took him to Puneeth.
“Danish said let’s go to ‘Appu anna’. I thought he is too big a star to approach. But I found him very open-minded as he listened to my story,” he says.
His maiden feature, ‘One Cut, Two Cut’, starring Danish, is on the comic character Gopi, made popular by the latter during the lockdown. “Puneeth sir's script sense was good. He gave value to our film’s backdrop (Bengaluru) and enhanced the characters. He suggested music ideas suited to the wacky tone of our film,” he notes.
Radhakrishna Reddy, whose debut ‘Mayabazar 2016’ was bankrolled by PRK Productions, saw him as a bridge between commercial and content oriented films. “Because my film won immense appreciation, I have now got a chance to work with the makers of the Telugu blockbuster ‘Eega’. That’s why it’s important to get a great launchpad like PRK Productions,” he says.
Arjun Kumar S, who made the underrated ‘Sankashta Kara Ganapathi’, knows how difficult it is to find a producer when you aren’t a big name. “For my second film ‘Family Pack’, I tried to find a producer for a year. Finally, I was able to meet Appu sir. After hearing the story, he finalised the project in just one day,” he says.
Puneeth didn’t like compromising on quality, he adds. “When he saw the film at the dubbing level, he said he wanted some portions to be visually rich and asked me not to worry about the budget.”
Ashwini was always involved in the projects right from their inception. Now the dynamic producer is set to be the face of the banner to realise its ultimate dream.