'SHABARIMALAI' DEVOTEE DR.RAJ
There Is Satisfaction In Doing 'Vrata'

Report by - CNB                 Photos - K.M. Veeresh, Vajreshwari Combines, and chitraloka file photos
Date -02/01/2006                        Time - 11.30 PM

W e have many traditions in our society. This is the season of Ayyappa Swamy and going to Shabarimalai is common. Years ago Rajkumar avaru was going by walk and covering 41 kilometers. In the night times he used to sleep somewhere, get up at 2 am and he was proceeding to the shrine. Before the scorching sun he used to cover a lot of distance.

Dr.Rajkumar had gone to Shabarimalai more than 20 times. In the beginning two hundred persons used to join him in three to four buses. He was taking time from shooting and I have accompanied him several times.

Going to Shabarimalai means one has to do penance for 48 days. He should give up all habits, take cold water bath twice in a day, sleep on the floor - my husband was following all these very strictly. As a matter of fact he always sleeps on the floor. Even when he used to go to hotels, he was sleeping on the floor mat he was carrying.

In a year he had been to Shabarimalai twice. Next year Appu's marriage was there he could not make it. After that it got stopped because of his abduction. Police told us not to take risk. Then his knee got operated.

Tamil actor Nambiyar had been to Shabarimalai more than 40 times.

I have seen most of the people going now to Shabarimalai not maintaining strict discipline for 48 days. There is satisfaction when you do the 'Vrat'.

I often hear from lot of people that we should do the film based on the novels. The literary persons, government and people also say this. That is our wish also.

I would like to narrate one interesting incident. Director Bagwan went to a literary person to ask for a subject to Dr.Rajkumar film. You want a story for Rajkumar, I was seeing 'Eradu Kanasu' recently, is he an actor? Does he know acting? The literary person shot back at Bagwan. Are you a director he yelled at Bagwan and said he would give novel to only Karanth or Karnad.

Bagwan also replied - Eradu Kanasu has run for 25 weeks. Appreciation has come from many people. I have come here to ask for your novel to adapt it on screen. If you are interested you give. Otherwise you leave it Bagwan said. Don't say that Rajkumar is not an artist, you don't declare it like this in public you will be in trouble Bagwan cautioned him.

Bagwan did not tell me this on that day to me. Very recently he had told me. We have so many literary personalities and what is their level I just questioned to myself. If 'Eradu Kanasu' is not a good film then what kind of film he likes.

Off late the number of copies of novel printing has also come down. Maximum of 2000 copies may be printed. This is read by 10 to 20000 people. For the film daily 2 lakhs of people come and watch. The novels are written like screenplay. It is not possible to convert it as a subject. They have to write the story. The government and media should think on this line.

When there is a good story it cannot be converted as it is on screen. We have done Mayoora. We have not seen Mayoor face to face. Ravana was not like a demon? Or was he like an ordinary man? We are showing him as normal human being. In cinema what is that looks good is very important.

There are some unique stories. The son marries the mother. It was a stage play also. When it is done as a film it will not run. Sometime such unique stories are also prepared for silver screen. I always say the film that is seen by the people should be given the subsidy or award. If the film is not watched by large section of people then why an award or a subsidy should be given is what I ask.

I don't like the new wave cinema. If the awareness comes from cinema let us agree to it. That is Art or commercial is decided by whom? Both do the film with the help of film raw material. It is not right to ask whether all our films have run. Whether a film is successful or not is not in our hands. 'Andaman' cinema in Kannada I liked. People did not like it. What can anyone do? If cinema means one should be ready to lose crores of rupees. Likewise one should be ready to earn crores of rupees.

UNFORGETTABLE - The film liked by people is good cinema. There should be a moral in it. When it is seen audience should feel happy. Some sort of change it should bring in the life. Then it is still very good. To make such films a producer should have the taste.

Smt.Parvathamma Rajkumar

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