"Our
boys are at the cross roads, searching for an index and I want
to guide them with my movies and serials"
- Phani Ramachandra, Cinema Director
Phani Ramachandra H S, who has been associated with Kannada
movies as
script/song writer and director for over two decades, has currently
switched over to the TV media. His popular 'Ganesha'
series of movies and serials based on common issues entertain
thousands of households in Karnataka. bangalorebest.com caught
him on the sets of his latest daily serial 'Danda pindagalu'
to enquire about his ventures and his aim of educating society
through the media…
Why did you choose to make comedy movies/teleserials?
Comedy is the simplest and most effective tool to reach out
to masses. Publics watch the screens to get rid of the monotony
of daily living, and if the same screen tells tragic stories,
they may reject it. But healthy comedy stories that have a message
will be received positively. It is for that reason I choose
to make comedy movies/ tele-serials. My target is the younger
generation and I want to convey messages that have an impact
on them.
What has been the cinema-going trend in Karnataka over the
years as far as Kannada comedy movies are concerned?
Movies are essentially made to break the monotony of the daily
life of the public, so that they can come to theatres with their
families to relax and enjoy. But
now the television is doing the theatre's job on an every day
basis, relieving the day's monotony on the same day itself.
Obviously, the invasion of the TV has restrained the public
from going to theatres. When it comes to comedy cinema, people
have their way of identifying a good comedy cinema. They come
to such movies only after they get that 'particular cine-fever',
on which publicity matters a lot. But, by the time they identify
it via publicity, the movie might have gone out of the theatres.
People would turn up in large numbers if good publicity is given
to 'healthy comedy' movies.
Your movies usually have the suffix/prefix 'Ganesha',
as in Ganeshana Maduve, Gowri-Ganesha, Ganeshana Galate and
others. Why?
I feel branding helps a lot in identifying yourself with the
public. There are 'Bond series' and 'Carry on' series in the
west that publicises the movies as action and comedy movies.
In the same way, my 'Ganesha' helps to identify my movies
and myself in the public. I would like to continue this trend.
Could you tell us about your latest daily tele-serial Danda
Pindagalu (Idle mouth) which is about un-employment?
I follow Puttanna Kanagal's way of movie making by choosing
a subject and focusing on that subject in-depth. My earlier
serials like Duddu duddu duddu; Maduve maduve maduve; Devru
devru devru all have a single subject and focus on the roots.
I thought of making a serial on un-employment as I felt it was
the biggest evil faced by society. An inferiority complex bug
has bitten the youth and I want to offer a remedy through Danda
pindagalu. I want to convey the message that dignity of
labour should not be a matter at all for a working person, especially
to the un-employed. A superiority complex does help a person
to come forward, although with an 'egoistic' tag attached, but
an inferiority complex is sure to destroy him. The serial wants
to cure all those negative complexes of youth. I plan to have
a discussion panel with various authorities and officials related
to the un-employment issue.
Why did you choose the small screen over the big one?
The first serial Duddu duddu duddu based on money matters had
tremendous response from the audience. Then followed Maduve
maduve maduve and Devru
devru devru, wherein I shown the cultural and atheistic clash
respectively. There is a new generation emerging that is made
to blindly follow traditions. Maduve... shows the conflict
of choosing between arranged and love marriages. Devru…made
many atheists believe in God, as they were not sure why they
should believe in God. This exercise of educating the public
is possible only through the TV where you can reach out to a
larger audience.
Do you want to continue in the same media and, if so, what
will be your next topic?
I enjoy the response I get here. I would like to showcase the
changes that can be brought about in society if each one of
us has a civic sense, which I feel is lacking. I would like
to show that a corrupt system could change if each concerned
person determines to change. I want to educate the public about
small matters that have a big impact, things like crossing the
yellow line.
His ventures are bound to have a big impact on people's minds
- the message is clear and hard-hitting.
More
on Phani Ramachandra
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9:43:40 PM 
