Jaggesh’s ‘Premier Padmini’ is about loneliness

The actor known for his comic roles says his film, releasing this week, looks at alienation of young people, and the social dynamics unique to big cities like Bengaluru.

Sandalwood’s Navarasa Nayaka, last seen in mystery thriller ‘8 MM Bullet’, a remake of the 2017 Tamil film ‘8 Thottakkal’, is back with ‘Premier Padmini’.

Actor-turned-politician Jaggesh, who began his career with ‘Ibbani Karagithu’ in 1983, is popular for his quirky mannerisms, wit and humour.

He is active on social media and has over two million Twitter followers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Metrolife caught up with Jaggesh to know more about his career and his latest film.

Why is ‘Premier Padmini’ being talked about so much?

The film looks at the life of young professionals and explores the dynamics of metropolitan life.

It deals with the alienation and loneliness of young people, who get sucked into the fast-paced city life.

Since the film deals with this contemporary situation and is a reflection of society, it has evoked much interest.

Which type of audience will it appeal to?

There are two types of audiences — those who love action, comedy and dance and family audiences keen to see films dealing with real life. ‘Premier Padmini’ undoubtedly falls in the latter category.

You have become choosier than before in accepting offers?

I’ve been in the industry for 38 years. After having worked with 130 directors, 29 producers and 38 distributors, I am a much more responsible and mature artiste. This makes me choosier than before.

You were opposed to remakes but ended up being a part of ‘8 MM Bullet’. What made you change your stand?

The celebrated filmmaker Raj Kapoor once wanted to remake Puttanna Kanagal’s ‘Naagarahaavu’ in Hindi. His belief was that good things can be repeated, and I share this thought. I accepted ‘8 MM Bullet’ due to the plot and its appeal to the audience.

Your stand on dubbing in Kannada?

Now I feel it is the people’s choice. If they like what they get, there is no issue; otherwise, it will be rejected.

Is this a sign that you are ready for new things?

I often try new things but I just make sure of certain other aspects when I do so. For xample, many filmmakers may claim to have a good story but it might fail to reach the audience.

So along with a good story, we need to ensure that it is saleable. Conversely, a movie can be a commercial hit without reaching too many people. That too isn’t desirable.

Say out of the six crore people in Karnataka, if just 10 lakh watch a Kannada movie, it will still earn around Rs 20 crore. That makes it a commercial success but what’s the use?

You think that the market for Sandalwood is restricted?

Bengaluru’s population is about 1.30 crore, including 35 lakh Kannadigas. This makes our market highly restricted here. People in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala watch movies in local languages, which is not the case here.

Capturing the urban market is a major challenge for Sandalwood, and this is where saleable stories can help us.

You had opposed big screen actors appearing in television shows. Now you are being seen more on the small screen yourself...

I was never against movie actors working in television. I wanted to convey that it was wrong to restrict actors either to the big or small screen.

Will you act in other languages?

I won’t. I am highly content with the Kannada industry. So even though I have friends like Rajinikanth in other industries, I won’t accept any offer from there.

You have had your fair share of controversies...

I’ve forgotten Upendra’s episode. As for Ramya, I was the one who brought her to Sandalwood. Her father was my best friend. About an issue, I told her that her stand wasn’t good. It was my duty to advise her as a well-wisher. It was her choice either to accept or reject it.

Are you active politically?

Yes, I keep tweeting political developments. I am a fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his ideology of nationalism. I am proud that I am one of those he follows.