Shivarajkumar: I don’t know how to describe this long journey in a few words

Vedha will be the 125th film for Shivarajkumar, who will be joining the list of very few actors in Indian cinema, who have achieved this remarkable milestone. At a time, when actors are finding it difficult to even cross 100 films, the Hattrick hero expresses his elation in joining the illustrious list that includes Kannada stalwarts like Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Anant Nag, Srinath, and his very own Appaji Dr Rajkumar.

“My career began with Anand in 1986, and this February, I will be completing 37 years in this wonderful industry. Looking back, I don’t know how to describe this long journey. I’m still trying to understand where the energy is coming from. Having said that, I see every film as my first film, and that enables me to make a fresh start,” he says.

Incidentally, Vedha is all the more special for Shivanna who is backing it under his home banner, Geetha Pictures, in association with Zee Studios. The actor recalls how his debut was backed by his mother and producer, Parvathamma Rajkumar, and now he has his wife, Geetha, bankrolling his 125th project. “There is more women power in our family, which has always existed since Appaji’s days, and the tradition now continues,” he asserts.

Shivanna admits that he never really had a career goal, and just went with the flow, and enjoyed the work that came his way. “My films had me collaborate with various directors, production houses, and actors. Every film looks after a handful of families. How the film fares at the box office became secondary, but I was happy to learn my producers wanted to invest in me because my films puts them in a ‘safe’ zone,” says Shivanna, adding, “Life is precious, and I feel we should utilise it in the right way. If a film is going to take 200 days, it shouldn’t be distributed between 3-4 years. By the time that film is complete, the team, and the actor will age by four years, and that cannot be reversed.”

There was a time when Shivanna did back-to-back films with director MS Rajashekar, and he has done something similar with filmmaker Harsha too. Vedha marks their fourth collaboration after Vajrakaya and the two Bhajarangi films. “Harsha brings in a lot of creativity with each film, and Vedha is no different. Though there are films, which has revolved around such familiar stories, Harsha’s treatment will make all the difference. I liked how he brought about the commercial elements, the suspense factor, and blended it all with a neat message,” he says.

Shivanna believes that Vedha, unlike his previous collaborations with Harsha, has a realistic approach. Vedha features Shivanna in two distinct timelines — the Brutal 60s and the present age — and will deal with a pertinent theme, which is relevant even today. “Vedha is a tale of love, life, happiness, and trust. The women in the film — Ganavi Laxman, Aditi Sagar, Veena Ponnappa, Shwetha Chengappa, and Umashree — are the pillars of Vedha,” says Shivanna.  Making a special mention about Umashree, Shivanna says that she is an excellent artiste who brings so much energy to the film.

Reminiscing about the toughest moment of his life, the loss of his brother Puneeth Rajkumar, Shivarajkumar says, “The work for Vedha had already begun. The sets were put up, artists were finalised, and schedules were fixed, which had to be taken into consideration. Somehow I picked up the courage and began filming for Vedha. It was the commitment towards cinema that allowed me to get on to the sets.”

Talking about how he gets to play the leading man even at the age of 60, Shivanna says, “This is the outcome of the pampering I get from the industry and the co-artists. Everyone treats me of their age, and that gives me positive energy. Apart from that, the support from my fans and my family support is what keeps me going,” says Shivanna, who feels content about the kind of characters coming his way, which respect his experience and versatility. However, Shivanna still harbours certain dream roles. “I want to experiment with mythological and devotional characters and work in films like Bhakta Kumbara, Santa Tukaram, and something that Nagarjuna played in Annamayya. I want to make such films for this technologically evolved generation,” says Shivanna.

While he has an interesting lineup of films in Kannada including Ghost, Karataka Dhamanaka, 45, Shivanna is also expanding his horizons to other languages. “At this moment of my career, I’m not trying to mark my name in other languages. I am just discovering newer films and roles. I am not part of other language films to become popular or to compete with someone. Sharing screen space with actor Rajinikanth in Jailer is a different feeling altogether, and I am still to shoot a few portions with the Superstar.  As for Dhanush, I’m a fan of his work from the time he began his career, and I’ve watched all his films. The role was good in Captain Miller, and I found the required spark to be part of this film,” he signs off.