From the village to the city

Gurunandan is anxious because his much-awaited film Raju Kannada Medium will be released this week. The actor who did well with his debut 1st Rank Raju admits that his second film Smile Please did not do as well as expected.

“Our career is a like a water bubble. A small mistake will undo our previous efforts, and we have to start again from scratch. Nearly one-and-a-half years of work has gone into Raju Kannada Medium, and I have placed much hope in this film. Where there is effort, there is bound to be fear too,” he says.

The actor, who is popularly known as Raju among his friends and industry people, is a follower of Aamir Khan’s style of filmmaking, especially the way characters are portrayed in the Bollywood star’s projects. “I can’t deal with mass films, but I try to tackle varied elements including comedy, drama, family bonding… and these have helped me connect with my audiences,” he says.

Gurunandan insists that Raju Kannada Medium is very different from his debut 1st Rank Raju, though both have been directed by Naresh Kumar. “This film is about Raju, who studies in Kannada medium,” says the actor.

It is a common enough scenario in real life, with thousands of youngsters from villages coming into the city to make a living.

Gurunandan himself is a case in point. Hailing from Malnad region, he came to Bengaluru to make a career in the film industry.

“I studied in Kannada medium and, not long ago, I was a stranger to this city too. And probably this helped me ‘live’ this character in Raju Kannada Medium,” says the actor, adding, “So many people who come to cosmopolitan Bengaluru struggle with English, and we don’t feel confident conversing with people here. Having said that, there are many famous people who have come from villages, who have achieved success in their own right as well.”

So, could this film inspire such youngsters? “I believe that one can achieve anything with hard work and sincerity. What better place to find examples of this than Bengaluru city, where we have people speaking different languages, living and working here.”

He adds that he does not believe everyone should be fluent in English. “In many countries such as China and France, locals prefer to converse in their own language and use a translator if necessary. Of course, English has become a necessity, but not a mandate. I personally know big businessmen who still sign their cheques in Kannada, and are well-recognised across the world. I believe in taking our language to other countries,” he says.

In romance too, Gurunandan says, let’s do it Kannada style. “Confidence is in the mind, language is simply a medium of communication,” he says.