I don't want to go near wealth: Upendra
By our correspondent

Of the people, by the people and for the people - Well, this seems to be the maxim, superstar Upendra claims to project in his movies. In a sense, he is a filmmaker and an actor for the masses alright. Probably that is what makes him click in Kannada cinema and now, in Telugu too.

Consider his track record - A, his superhit film in 1998, collected a whopping 15 crores, putting Kannada cinema in the reckoning down south. The very next year, Upendra, a multilingual film in his own name, proved a mega success again, especially in Telugu. With this movie, he also succeeded in wooing the class audience, who had earlier turned their noses down at him.

The Badshah of Kannada cinema spoke to our correspondent at a recent bash at the Bangalore Palace. Excerpts.

You must be relieved and satisfied, with your latest film topping the charts.

This sense of relief is only temporary. Soon, I will have one more commitment and then many more to follow. I don't think I have overcome the tensions. In fact, just when one tension is over and I get a breather, another film comes up. My next film is titled Hollywood and I am playing a double role.

Do you feel constrained to work under any producer?

It is not like that. I like to get a free hand. I had frequent interventions from the producer of Upendra and he used to release the funds for the film saying it was an advance payment for my next film with him. He misunderstood when I signed a film for producer Rockline Venkatesh's Preethse. There were some personal differences between the two. It became so serious that one day, he even lifted a chair to hit me. I don't want all this. I am a very simple human being. Even today, I feel that I have not achieved much despite hits like Sh..., Om, A, and now Upendra.

Would your entry into the Telugu film industry mean lesser time for Kannada films?

That's only temporary. I had the dates to give and as I have already acted in a Telugu film, Kanyadanam, I was given a chance in three Telugu films. I am working on two films simultaneously. In a way, I earn there and spend it here in Karnataka. Also, I get an idea about my market.

What market analysis have you made so far?

We are unwilling to take risks here. Unlike us, if a film makes Rs 5 crore in Telugu or Tamil, they project it as Rs 10 to 15 crore and boost the market. The initial draw is also wonderful in the neighbouring states. This is what we have to learn.

Tell me Uppi (his nickname), why are you not after Aishwarya (wealth) in your life?

(Laughs) Aishwarya might be my heroine in Hollywood, but I have lived in utter poverty. A luxurious lifestyle is very very far from me. The Upendra you see on screen is just the opposite of the real me. I believe that when everything is acquired, a man forgets his work. So I do not want to get anywhere near opulence in life.

Does your theme of the 'I' in 'Upendra' reflect these concepts?

Some years back, our entire family would have been washed out because of poverty. My mother mixed poison in chapathis and when we were about to eat it, something urged us not to die. There was no 'I' - it was only 'we'. In a broader perspective, a human being today cares only for himself and his close relatives. Even in my case, if my mobile phone goes into pieces, I care so much, but wouldn't bother when my neighbour's house is up in flames. I have dealt with these facts of life minutely and that has been lapped up by the audiences. The close observation by the masses identifies with the philosophy of Sri Shankaracharya and Jiddu Krishnamurty.

What are your future plans?

I want to see each and every Kannada film run for at least a 100 days. I can't make a film like Girish Kasaravalli's and besides, I am not for any awards. I want people to recognise me in their hearts. I want to at least make the Tamil and Telugu industry stop and look up to Kannada cinema as they used to with Bollywood years ago.

What is it that you liked in Upendra and also, what didn't you like about it?

I liked the acting of Damini (a newcomer from Dharwad.) What I disliked was pressure from the producer. I wanted to bring in the effect of the elements - rain, wind and fire converging. I wanted to create a sea and required a ship.

Have you set up a permanent office in Bangalore?

It is opposite former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's petrol bunk in Bangalore. I hope one day they will call it (the petrol bunk) as the one opposite Upendra's office!