'Head Bush is about Bangalore City and not one individual’s life'

Head Bush, the second venture from lead actor Dhananjay’s Daali Pictures, is set to hit the screens on October 21. The gangster drama, which will be out in two parts, is based on writer Agni Sreedhar’s autobiography, My Days in the Underworld: Rise of the Bangalore Mafia.

The film features Dhananjay as MP Jayaraj, and Payal Rajput, V Ravichandran, Sruthi Hariharan, Sandy Master, Raghu Mukherjee, and Yogesh in pivotal roles. Directed by debutant filmmaker Shoonya, the film represents the underworld of the 70s. Agni Sreedhar, who has written the screenplay and dialogues for Head Bush, clarifies that the film is not about one individual’s life, but traces the lives of the members of the underworld, and a particular incident that took place in 1974-1978. He further asserts that the only reason people think Head Bush is about Jayaraj is that he was a known personality. “Moreover, since Dhananjay is playing the role of Jayaraj, people think it is about just one person. But he is just part of it.”

Agni Sreedhar asserts that Head Bush is the story of Bangalore City. “Cities are not constructed by political leaders, or officials, it is constructed by ordinary people. It showcases the good and bad side of Bangalore,” he says.

When asked about the changes made in the film, Agni Sreedhar says, “It is a creative media, and Head Bush is not a documentary. However, the foundation of the film is based on facts, and the personalities shown existed in real life, and some are still alive. There are situations where changes were brought to enhance the creative side.”

Coming from Agni Sreedhar, a reformed gangster, a writer, critic, and director, his stories (Aa Dinagalu, Kallara Santhe, Thamassu, Edegarike, Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu, Head Bush and his next, Silent Sunila) are usually not normal to the society, but he begs to differ. “Everyone is a normal human being, but present in different situations. Just because violence and other illegal things get involved, it is considered as the underworld. I believe even the underworld exists right in front of us, and not in any remote corner,” he says.

While Agni Sreedhar wants to discuss more about the film after its release, he does have some nice words to talk about Dhananjay. “Dhananjay as an actor and producer has taken too much risk and has staked his life for Head Bush. I want this film to be a success for his sake. By nature, he is a people’s man,” he says.

Why did he limit himself to being just a writer for Head Bush, and not take up directorial responsibilities? “A director needs too much time and patience. Shooting is just a small process. A lot of energy goes into post-production and in bringing out the film, which I could not gather. Having said that, debutant Shoonya has done an excellent job, and his work will speak volumes,” says Agni Sreedhar, who gives priority to writing over making cinema. “Language is best expressed only in writing, and it gives me more freedom than filmmaking. Making movies is a big challenge today. When I’m writing, I’m alone, and everything is at my disposal. But when it comes to filmmaking, there are a lot of things to be done. However, cinema reaches each and everybody. Even an ordinary person can understand things through the visual medium,” he signs off.