A good novel doesn't guarantee a great film: Girish Karnad

Film and theatre thespian Girish Karnad has always created an impact on screen, with whatever the role he essays. The actor, who has just signed Guru Deshpande's Rudratandava, is going to be seen next month in Jacob Varghese's Savaari 2. While the actor tends to shy away from talking about his roles in his films and let the viewers watch and decide for themselves, here's the actor unplugged on a few other things cinema.
On roles given to him For me, whether a film does a 50-day run or is a box office hit is not a priority any more. In fact, I know that filmmakers come to me with roles that have limited screen time. But these guys approach me saying there's this role of a judge, even though it is for one scene, your judgement will have the audience in tears. I really wonder if all of that extra bit is necessary.
On remakes The Indian film industry makes over 1,000 films every year. Where can we find those many original stories. What is the harm in adapting a good film from another language, especially if it will benefit our viewers. While I say that, I don't advocate dubbing - that's a completely different debate. But, when I do sign a remake film, I never watch the original. I interpret the role and story as per what I make of it.
On literary adaptations A good novel doesn't guarantee success at the box office. Some books are really big works, which cannot be translated well in a two or two-and-a-half hour film. There have been books that have worked, while there are others that haven't.