I had seen Ugramm, a Kannada Blockbuster, a year ago at Mysore. The fast-paced story-line had me gripped by the film. A year later I happened to have an in-depth conversation with one of the many, but outstanding villain actors of the movie – Manjunath Gowda.
The character portrayed by Manjunath clearly sets his role apart from the army of villains Aagastya, the protagonist played by Sri Murali, bashes throughout the film. Gowda’s versatile portrayal of a monstrous villain silenced the audience. Such was his versatility as he put forth such a character for a hero to strike upon and win cheers. This was all on-screen of course. But meeting him in person introduced me to an interesting person who shared what it was like to be an actor.
I met him at Rangashankara, a cultural hub for performing arts at the heart of JP Nagar, Bangalore. He hung out with his entourage at the gates of RS, sipping tea and puffing cigarettes. I approached him to congratulate him on his performance. This led to a broader conversation about acting, films, and the life behind the screens of Kannada’s film fraternity.
He spoke about the sacrifices and the struggles that made him an actor. His downfalls can be taken as a motivation, instead of discouragement perceived by society about wannabe actors. I, as a creative soul, do have many aspirations. The very reason for me to be at Ranga Shankara was to write a screenplay for a film that I and a friend are working on. Meeting him was more than just overwhelmingly motivating. It was a sign to explore the depths of the creative ocean no matter how grievous it may seem. There is always a light in the form of joy when you do what you love.