Director Yograj Bhat needs no introduction to Kannada moviegoers. A prominent film director, lyricist, producer and screenwriter in the film industry here, he has managed to mesmerise his fans with his decidedly different take on story-telling. A Sharadhaa chats with the director at his Banashankari office.

 In a career spanning more than a decade, how would you describe your achievements and where would you place yourself  in the Kannada film world?

First of all, I don’t consider my career as any big achievement. I entered this field on a lark to become a cinematographer but soon turned a director. Even my directorial ventures faced hiccups and some of them flopped. Mungaru Male was a roaring success but was it me or the  people –  the team comprising Ganesh and E Krishnappa –  that made that happen? Probably, whatever I do, I do with bare minimum responsibility and that is what has kept me going.

 In ten years, you have made only 5-6 films.  Why is that?

Essentially, I am not a story writer. But since we don’t have many competitive writers in the industry, director Soori, who is a friend, and I started writing stories. That process takes time, at least, six to eight months to bring ideas to paper. Sometimes, we even trash a finished story, if it doesn’t feel perfect. Once we chance upon the right stories, then at least 2-3 films can be churned out in an year and a half. But that doesn’t happen.

 Mungaru Male was a runaway success which has been hard to repeat. Is it because you became formulaic –  scenic locales, an unusual angle coupled with Ganesh in the cast? You did this with Galipatta which did well, but not like Mungaru Male.

It is a complicated question. I don’t know whether Mungaru Male can be replicated. Even if I do make a better film than that, I wouldn’t know if it will run. If I attempt a good film, what is it that I should do for it to run at the box office? Who decides that? It is definitely not in the hands of the creator. Success and milestones are created by people. We only attempt to go deeper into the art and hope to make a success of it. All records are b*&%#@*t. I never expected Mungaru Male to be a big hit.

Entertainment is what drives Yograj Bhat. Can he ever get into serious films?

I am not sure. I might try to do a dark movie sometime in the future. I don’t know how to preach or underline a story. I can’t justifiably show whether this guy is good or bad or how the good should fight the bad. Love, also, can’t be overemphasised. Since there is no one underlining element in my films, they lack strong stories but they definitely have engaging content that connects with the audiences. I go by this expression and narrative; I can’t be philosophical or give messages through my films.

 You are rated as the number one director in the Kannada industry.

This number 1 to 10 is sheer stupidity. I was never in the race then or now because the term success or top rank is a passing phase. Today what might be ours will be for somebody else tomorrow. It is better not to get into the race.

Your films tend to target the youth most of the time. Is that on purpose?

It is the youngsters aged between 16 to 20 who first get attracted to cinema, followed by the 30 and 40-plus category. They spread the message and publicise the package and that’s how a film is seen by a varied audience. If we make movies for the 50-plus audience, we will not be able to reach them. Even if we go house to house and spread the word, we will not see these people coming to theatres. Target audience is a cliched term. The youth need entertainment. They easily connect with society and bring more viewers to the theatre.

Many feel that your dialogues rely on double meanings, comical elements and punchy one liners. How do you manage to write such colourful lines?

I have never portrayed vulgarity in my films. Probably, that is my strength. What you call vulgarity has never entered my arena. Writing is a kind of meditation which has to be told in a cinematic and entertaining way. Peculiar characters need to be created and the right kind of actors have to be selected. Actor, character, writer, they all get linked to each other. All this put together converts to a performance which is cinema.

People come to see Yograj movies with lot of expectations. Does it scare you?

Always. I am terribly scared. Be at signals or going to a petty shop, I feel anxious about people’s reaction. The recognition and love showered on me is unbelievable. We don’t know when they will chase us out or love us, and that’s what scares me.

Who are your favourite stars, those you feel most comfortable with? Who best brings alive your ideas and thoughts?

Everyone with whom I have worked is quite competitive. It is wrong to rank them high or low.  There are actors who put in lot of effort in playing a role that a few do effortlessly. However, some have failed miserably in spite of their hard work. I don’t want to name them as I love them all.

 You are the highest paid lyricist in recent times; why not shift to this full time?

Writing lyrics is a temporary phase. I don’t have any qualities to be a full-fledged lyricist. My schedules are really horrible. I started writing for my friends six years ago. I might have written lyrics for some 60 to 70 songs. Although, they say I am the highest paid lyricist, I am yet to be paid for 90 per cent of my work. That is the irony of it.

Why have you turned to acting now? Is it for the rush of seeing yourself on the big screen?

No. I never wanted to be an actor. A few of my assistants are making a movie with Gadda Vijji who has now turned director. It is one of the best scripts I have come across, till date, and, therefore, I supported the producers.

There is no particular hero in this film. The makers couldn’t cast the right person or weren’t able to afford an actor. I don’t know who gave them the idea but they pushed me into doing this. I am doing it for a cause.

 Any message for your fans?

Be naughty and happy.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home > Cities> Bangalore / Express News Service -Bangalore ,  by sharadhaa@newindianexpress.com /  May 18th, 2013