Star Interviews
K.Bhaagya Raj - Chitchat
By sri
Jun 12, 2010 - 10:32:04 AM

Bhagyaraj is not a new name for Telugu movie buffs. Several films, such as Moodu Mullu, Radha Kalyanam, Satyabhama, Abbaayi Gaaru, Sundarakanda , and Adirindi Alludu!, were all remakes of Bhagyaraja's films. Several of his films were also dubbed and some even ran for over 50 days in many centers, or even over 100 days sometimes (such as Chinna Illu and Darling, Darling, Darling!)! This multi-talented writer-turned-hero-and- director is hard to get in touch, as he lived in Chennai. I could finally reach him with the help of producer-director E.V.V. Satyanarayana gaaru. It was the election time - he was working for DMK - and he was also directing his son Shantan in a new film and so it took a while before we could finally set up an interview over the phone. The excerpts of a late Sunday night telephonic interview with Bhagyaraja are published exclusively for TeluguCinema.Com readers:

Sri: Firstly, do you know Telugu?
Bhagyaraj: (Laughs) My ancestors are from Andhra Pradesh region, but I was born and brought up in Coimbatore. Thus, I grew up speaking Telugu at home but with a Tamil flavor because of my upbrining in Coimbatore and Chennai. Still, I think my Telugu is okay...

Sri: So, how did the long journey from Coimbatore to Chennai happen?
Bhagyaraj: I was quite interested in films since my childhood and I used to do a lot of plays in the school. When a sixth grade teacher asked the class as to what each one of us wanted to achieve in life, everyone said things like IAS officer, police officer, etc. and I was the only one who said I wanted to become a hero like MGR or NTR, who I idolize! While everyone laughted at me, my sir encouraged me saying that I was honest and that there was nothing wrong in wishing so. I continued to keep my passion alive, and even used to improvise several film dialogues when I was in my seventh grade. An incident in my eighth class was an unforgettable turning point, I should say! I was rehearsing for a play after the regular school hours, and another play was also being rehearsed in the same area. One of my seniors was doing a character in that other play. We used to have a school uniform, of course, and a badge above the shirt pocket on the left side.

This senior student was clutching the badge occasionally due to nervousness, and when I saw that, I pointed it to my teachers and said something is not right about it and asked them to correct it. Even after a few rehearsals by him, they didn't notice what the issue was and asked me what I found wrong. I pointed that his mannerism with the badge would be embarrassing on the stage because he's playing the role of a lady! The teachers were surprised when they had to acknowledge that I was right! That's when I realized that I had qualities of becoming a director, and later helped me start directing plays.

Sri: How did you get into films? It's not easy to get an entry pass and then a break, particularly if you don't have a film background...
Bhagyaraj: Surely, it wasn't easy! I did everything before coming to films! I roamed without any goal for a while. You may not believe it when I say, but I ran away from home and came to Hyderabad. And, you know what I did in Hyderabad? I pulled a cycle rickshaw for a while, worked as a waiter in a hotel, as a clown in a circus, and more such mean and petty jobs, before I realized that I should settle into something and not wander like that! I realized that my passion for movies was still alive and burning and I went to Chennai for a chance to try my luck. I neither had the physique nor the looks necessary for being a hero. I thus chose the story department, as I was good at telling stories. I used to go to producer Thooyavan's house daily, until he agreed to take me in as an assistant and put me with Ramakrishnan's sir, with whom I worked for the film Ezhai Panakkaaran along with Balaguru. Ramakrishnan sir introduced me to Bharathiraja sir, who was then doing his first film Padunaaru Vayadinile (Tamil original for Padaharella Vayasu) and I joined the team...

Sri: By the way, what was your first remuneration?
Bhagyaraj: I didn't get anything for Ezhai Panakkaaran but for Padunaaru Vayadinile, I got Rs. 150 as my first salary from Sree S.A. Rajakanavu. It might seem like a very little money now, but at that time, it was after long that I was seeing so much! I repaid the Rs. 100 that I borrowed from my roommates for party as hand loans and also repaid their debts. A month-long shooting schedule was to start and we had to leave to Mysore the next day. Food and accommodation would be taken care of during shooting and thus I didn't need a lot of money. After reaching Mysore, I spent Rs. 18 to buy chappals for myself. After reaching the hotel, I was informed that the schedule got postponed and we had to vacate the hotel and go back to Madras on our own. Imagine my plight! ...I landed in Madras again, with just two rupees at hand! I cannot even go back to the production house and ask for money as I just took the money a day before. Thus, I had to face many a hardship for the next one month as the next schedule did not start until then! ...

Sri: Tell me about the film Padunaaru Vayadinile.
Bhagyaraj: Like many already know, it is Bharathiraja's first film. I joined as his assistant to him as Ramanathan gaaru recommended me saying that I have good handwriting. I had to coach Rajinikant as he was [then] not fluent in Tamil and he could not even read Tamil. I thus used to read to him and help with voice modulation. He used to listen and repeat it over and over until he mastered the right modulation - he's really hardworking! You may remember that the film starts with a flashback - that was my idea. Bharathiraja sir wanted a linear narration. After the film completed its shoot, we screened at least twenty times for the distributors and the narration switched everytime between linear and non-linear (with flashback) versions. After the whole exercise, the producer himself released the film (with the flashback narration).

Sri: When did you get promoted to associate director?
Bhagyaraj: I became an Associate Director for the film Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978) (Toorpu Velle Rail-u in Telugu) and I was also the dialogue coach for the hero Sudhakar, for who it was the debut film. Since Sudhakar is basically a Telugu guy and because I know both Telugu & Tamil, I used to teach him the language and the dialogues too. Bharathiraja sir set a 20-day limit for Sudhakar to leran all dialogues perfectly before we went to the shoot, failing which he said he'd replace Sudhakar with me as I was doing the role better (laughs)! I also did a small role in that film. Another thing what I remember about this movie is that he didn't like Radhika's "baby voice" and we tried nearly twenty voices to dub for her role. I liked her voice but ...well, we finally went with her voice only. (Trivia: Radhika's make-up test was done with the Sridevi's costumes from Padunaaru Vayadinile. As Radhika just returned from London and did not have traditional costumes such as half-saree.)

Sri: Your worked for two village-based films and then shifted tracks to a thriller film next - Sigappu Rojaakkal (1978) (Erra Gulaabeelu in Telugu). Any specific reason?
Bhagyaraj: Bharathiraja sir wanted try a different genre because people would otherwise brand him with village-based films. While struggling to get a chance to become a director, he readied several stories. His choice for the lead role in this film was Shivakumar (father of today's hero Surya), but we were all against the idea. He insisted on Shivakumar only and approached him. Shivakumar listened to the story and said he liked it but the film wouldn't suit his image and that he'd not do it thus. Kamal Hasan, who was always ready for experimental films, readily agreed to do it. Unlike the first two films, this film didn't have much scope for music and thus we had only three songs in the film. (The Telugu version has only two songs.) Bharathiraja sir wanted me to do the role that now Goundamani played, while Goundamani was chosen for the role of a waiter. We somehow convinced him to switch the roles, and I did the waiter's role. ...The film was a huge sucess.

Sri: How did you rise up from being a small-time actor to a lead actor in Pudhiya Varpugal (1979)? (The film was later remade as Suhasini's debut in Telugu with Hari Prasad as hero, titled Kottha Jeevithaalu, and was a flop.)
Bhagyaraj: Actually, I was not the first choice for that role and I did two other films [as lead actor] before doing it. After completing Sigappu Rojaakkal, I asked Bharathiraja sir to let me look for film-directing opportunities and started searching for producers. Balaguru got a chance to become director at that time and offered me a role but I was not at all interested. I got a producer to start a film with Sudhakar. Since I knew Sudhakar from his Tamil debut film, he was ready to do the film. Balaguru's producer was Raj Kanavu who made Padunaaru Vayadinile and Kizhakke Pogum Rail. (The producer had some differences with Bharathiraja and Ilayaraja and thus chose Balaguru for direction and Shankar-Ganesh duo for music.) Their film was titled Kanni Paruvathile and had Rajesh and Vadivukkarasu as the lead pair and I was offered another key role. (Raja Kanavu called Sudhakar and threatened him to postpone his dates for my film so that I can act in their film and Sudhakar obliged.) The film became a huge success too. After that, I started working on my directorial debut film again, and I got a call from Bharathiraja sir who was planning to start his own banner. He called me to help with the climax scenes in the film and I went for the story sittings. I felt more changes were necessary from the beginning of the second half and I told him the same. He told me to make the changes and give him the scenic order and also complete the dialogue version. We looked at several new faces for the role, until he asked me one day to take some snaps wearing spectacles and I did. He announced me as the lead actor, and that's how it all happened through Bharatiraja sir's hands again. I started my own film Suvar Illaada Chitirangal (1979) with Sudhakar, Sumathi and me in the lead roles. I wasn't the original choice for my role, but I had to step in after two days of shoot when the actor we first took in absconded because he signed another film as a lead actor. That's how I continued to act!

Sri: I think you ventured into producing after that film?
Bhagyaraj: Yes, I directed a film called Oru Kai Osai (Pranaya Geetham in Telugu) after that film, which I also produced. The film was an average fare. I later did Indru Poi Nallai Vaa (remade as Kokkaroko in Telugu with Sashi Kumar, Sudhakar, Chinna, and Sanghavi under direction of Sivaprasad Reddy) but it was the film Mouna Geethangal (1981) that made me popular in Telugu (made as Satyabhama starring Chandramohan and Jayasudha and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao); that film was a huge hit in Hindi too (as Ek Hii Bhool starring Jithendra and Rekha and directed by Tatineni Ramarao). Starting then, nearly all my Tamil films were remade in Telugu. Andha 7 Naatkal as Radha Kalyanam (Chandramohan, Radhika - Bapu), Thooral Ninnu Pochu as Pelli Choopulu (Chandramohan, Vijayashanti - P. Sambasivarao), Mundhanai Mudichu as Moodu Mullu (Chandramohan, Radhika - Jandhyala) and later also dubbed as Vaddante Pelli. Some of my films as an actor - such as Darling, Darling, Darling!, Chinnai Veedu (Chinna Illu), Chinna Raja (Chinna Raja, and again remade as Abbaayi Gaaru with Venkatesh and Meena under E.V.V. Satyanarayana's direction) - were dubbed and collected like straight films! Some films like Enga Chinna Raja (Beta, starring Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit directed by Indra Kumar), Mundhanai Mudichu (Master-ji, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sridevi directed by K. Raghavendra Rao), were also made in Hindi and went on to become successful films.

Sri: You are one of the few successful directors who were successful as a hero and a highly successful producer too!
Bhagyaraj: There are several people like B.R. Panthulu before I happened, but I agree that I was successful inspite of not being very handsome. I think the thumb rule of expecting heroes to be handsome is now broken - we can thus see nice artistes like Parthiban or Pandiarajan.

Sri: Speaking of Parthiban, Pandiarajan, and others, how do you feel about the success of your disciples?
Bhagyaraj: I ask my protégés to leave after assisting for three films - they should learn within that period and should be able to direct the fourth on their own! That's what I believe in. I am happy that many of them had appreciable success.

Sri: Tell me about Khaidi Veta (Oru Khaidiyin Diary in Tamil, starring Kamal Hasan in dual role). You only wrote story and dialogues for the original but you directed the Hindi version (Aakhri Raastaa starring Amitabh Bacchan).
Bhagyaraj: Bharathiraja sir had just witnessed a couple of flops at that time and wanted to get a hit film definitely, and he asked me to pen the story and dialogues for the film and I obliged. Purnachandra Rao gaaru put pressure on me to direct the Hindi version as I was the writer for the original. Directing the legendary Amitabh sir excited me and I agreed. I knew the script by heart and thus didn't have any problem with the language.

Sri: How come some of your (and your guru's) films made in Hindi - such as Solvaa Saavan, Saveri Vaali Gaadii, Mr. Bechara, and so on - were duds?
Bhagyaraj: Nativity and execution made the difference. The cultural difference between north and south India worked against them.

Sri: I think you made one straight film for Sarathi Studios called Ammaayiluu... Preminchandi! after the huge success of Pelli Choopulu and Radha Kalyanam - both being your films remade on their banner?
Bhagyaraj: Actually, even this film was a remake. We shot some scenes again to suit the nativity but dubbed most other scenes. The film was only an average fare unlike others that were big hits!

Sri: Coming to think of it, how come you never did your own remakes, though your films were also popular in Telugu, like Chinna Raja, Chinna Illu, Darling, Darling, Darling!, etc. were hits?
Bhagyaraj: I felt I'd be doing the same job again if I am direct my own remake. Within that time, I could rather do another straight film. My first wife praveen always used to ask me to do a Telugu film. Unfortunately, she never saw me direct one while she was alive!

K Bhagyaraja with daughter

Sri: There were a lot of rumors about her sudden death. And, I heard it was a love marriage to start with. Can you tell us more details?
Bhagyaraj: I met her at the office of Thooyavan sir. She was a Telugu girl looking for a Tamil teacher and I started coaching her. She was already doing Telugu and Tamil films by then (such as Suryachandrulu starring Chandramohan and Praveena, with Madhavi as another heroine - It was S.P. Sailaja's second film too; it had memorable songs like EdO EdO cheppaalani, manasantaa vippaalani... and okE manasu renDu roopaalugaa, okE oopiri renDu kiraNaalugaa...). We then did a film together, titled Bhama Sathyabhama, and we fell in love and married later. She passed away due to illness, following the delivery of our son Shanthan, and my world was shattered! I was not the same person anymore!... (A huge photograph of Praveena still hangs in his office today!)

Sri: There were rumors that you fell in love with your co-star Poornima, that you were considering divorce, and that this was also a reason for Praveena's death?
Bhagyaraj: That's utter rubbish! Poornima and I worked in Darling, Darling, Darling!. She is a good person and we were just co-stars at that time! It was only after Praveena's sudden death, when I was alone with no one to look after me and my kid, I met Poornima by chance and contemplated marriage.

Sri: How did you arrive at the idea of marrying Poornima? Did she agree right away? Could you please share some more details?
Bhagyaraj: After Praveena's sudden death, I started going around places to divert my mind out of the sudden shock. I was in Mumbai once, where I met my PRO, who was also handling Poornima's PR. I asked him what brought him to Mumbai and he said he came to see Poornima off next day as she was flying to Paris for the shoot of a Malayalam flick. That day being Diwali and Poorima knowing that I was in Mumbai, I was asked to visit her house and that her parents would be there too. When I saw her there, I felt that I'd be lucky if she agreed and asked her to call me once she reaches Paris, if possible. She gave a confused look but didn't say a word. I left to Madras and got no call for a week and was embarrassed for asking her that way. Then, our office boy mentioned one day that a girl was calling from Parry's Corner every day for me and that she wanted to pass on her number. I said I wasn't interested and didn't take the number. I suddenly realized and cried out, "aDa paavii (Orii, paapii)! It's not Parry's Corner (in Madras). She was calling from Paris (in France)!!" I got her number from my PRO and called her at Paris. I left a message at the hotel reception as she was in the shooting. When the unit returned from the shooting, the front desk personnel gave the message to her right in front of the whole unit, and thus the news got out to Madras by the time she landed here! The rest is history.

Sri: How come we do not see much of you these days?
Bhagyaraj: That's because I am not getting roles suitable for me. I like to act my age and I am more happy as a director than an actor.

Sri: Whom did you idolize as an upcoming artiste?
Bhagyaraj: Undoubtedly, it's the legendary artistes M.G.R., N.T.R., Sivaji Ganeshan, and A.N.R. In fact, it was N.T.R. gaaru who recommended me to marry soon after Praveena passed away with the illness. I met him in a meeting where all Chief Ministers of southern Indian states were on the dais. Whenever I come to Hyderabad, I make a point to meet A.N.R. gaaru. I adore M.G.R. and Sivaji. I like to do such roles as Sivaji in Mudal Mariyadai or A.N.R. in Seethramaiah Gaari Manavaraalu if I ever get a chance.

Sri: What do you feel about the current trend?
Bhagyaraj: It's slowly changing. Image of artistes and directors played a significant role a few years ago. Films like Subramaniapuram (dubbed as Ananthapuram 1980 into Telugu), Gamyam are a welcome change. I hope more films would follow suit. Most of the established heroes only go with the established directors or those with appreciable hits but hesitate to give opportunities to a newcomer. I suggest my son to work with a newcomer for at least one in every three films, so that we can encourage fresh talent!

Sri: How does the director in you rate your son's Shanthan's performance?
Bhagyaraj: He is young, and he's a good performer. I liked him in his first film. His dances are appreciable, and so is his performance. Given a chance, he can do much more, I believe.

Sri: Your films were once known for double entendres and glamourous heroines. How come your moderately successful directorial venture Paarijaatham with your daughter Sharanya Bhagyaraj in the lead had nothing of that sort?
Bhagyaraj: It's because the film was of a different genre. Actually I was worried about the kind of subject I direct her for. Luckily, I got that subject and it worked well for her. I do not agree that my movies has double meanings. I never showed any vulgarity in the movies. Sex is a part of life. I just showed it beautifully, in ways that can be watched with families. I believe that one just needs to lace the story that strikes at least one chord of the life of a common man and you meet success, without having to erect huge sets or spend huge budgets! People come to movies to forget problems in their lives but at the same time the film needs to touch their lifes too. All my films has women of strong character, be it Chinna Raja or Chinna Illu or Moodu Mullu, or any other film. I have to show some glamour too, which is necessary to make a commerical film.

Sri: What's your daugther doing now?
Bhagyaraj: She's pursuing a fashon designing course in London. Whether she'd venture into films or just concentrate on the fashion world is a choice that she'd make and not I.

Sri: What took you into politics?
Bhagyaraj: Because I saw a need to be. I am a supporter of DMK from the begining and they need me now. I thus joined the party and worked for the elections.