I wanted to earn money & make merry, says Puneeth Rajkumar

For the first time ever, Puneeth Rajkumar speaks about the period in his life when he was a businessman and unconnected to films. It was not an attempt to get out of his father’s shadow, but to avoid the taunts that he was blowing up his father’s money. In an exclusive interview to S Shyam Prasad, the ‘Power Star’ opens up
You never work with newcomers.
I have nothing against talent. If a debutant director manages to convince me, I am game. If they come up with a script that can bowl me over, I am more than eager to take it up. But they should do their homework. The written word will be very different from what is shown in the film. If you want me in your film, make a short film on the script so that I know how the film will be presented. In this digital age, it does not take much time. You can shoot with any digital camera, edit it on your computer, add some music and show me how you intend to shoot the film. There are so many youngsters today who have belief in their vision and making great films. For example, Ugramm and 6-5=2. But when they cannot convince an actor and think of themselves as writers and directors, it is their mistake.

You have turned a professional singer suddenly.
I may not win awards for my renditions, but if the film is a hit, I will be called to be given a shield. That will make me proud. When my brothers, mother, wife and friends say that my singing is not that bad, I am thrilled. So when more requests came my way, I accept them. But do not expect me to sing a devotional album. All the money that comes from singing goes to our charity trust. I have no formal training in music and therefore take some time to sing each song. But I listen to every kind of music and have a huge library. For me, the tunes come first and the lyrics later. If I enjoy the tune, then singing is easy. My recent favourite is the title song for Adyaksha.

You recently met Arnold Schwarzenegger. How did the meeting go?
Just four days before meeting Arnold in Chennai, I was in Los Angeles. I drove around with a local friend and was checking out the homes of Hollywood stars with awe. Then meeting Arnold in Chennai just after that was surreal. Shankar (top Tamil director) and Rajini sir were introducing me, but I was star-stuck to get a sense of the occasion. I have been a huge Arnold fan and must have watched the Terminator series more than 150 times. I do not even remember what I mumbled to him. I was staring at him with dropped jaws. He hugged me and I was bowled over. While introducing me, Rajini sir uttered good words which I do not want to repeat just for the fear of being seen as boastful.

And you are a big star yourself. How has the journey been?
If any of my business ventures had clicked and I had made the money that I intended to, I would probably never have become an actor again. My parents wished I became an actor, but they never forced me. As a child actor, I did not have any choice. I had not entirely expected to become an actor after I grew up.

From a child actor to lead actor, how was that eventful period like?
It was the most fantastic phase of my life. I had no proper schooling so most of my time was spent going around and roaming with my friends. It was during this time that I learnt most about life. I just wanted to make money and make merry. At that age, comparisons were inevitable. My concern was not get taunted that I was enjoying the good fortune of my father. If anyone would have said, Appana duddu maja maadtavne, (the son who splurges on father’s fortunes) I could not have taken it. That is the reason I wanted to make money on my own. I did every kind of business and there was a long list. If there was money to be made, I would venture into that business. I was even an active stock trader for a long time. For me, life was not only about responsibility, it was about having fun and living life. My mother gifted me my first car when I was 16. But I wanted to earn my own money to avoid any references. But that does not mean I wanted to cut off completely. Everywhere, I was and am recognised as ‘Annavara maga,’ and not as Puneeth.

Then surfaced negative reports about your business…
Yeah, the reports particularly related to granite business hurt. My father knew I was not doing anything wrong and when I said it was some ‘stupid’ news, he said just stop the business. I was pulled in to the family’s film distribution business. I started looking after the film units and production. I used to get paid for it. At one point, I realised that it was my own family business and stopped taking salary. I got married and there began another phase of my life.

So your second innings as an actor was accidental?
I have been in the film industry since 1994-95. I was a manager in my family’s production house. My first film behind the scene as a manager was for Geluvina Saradara. I also attended the shooting of Om (Shiva Rajkumar’s magnum opus), but not in official capacity. So films were not new to me. But my first film (as an adult) felt strange and it was not what I had expected.

So you will now remain only as an actor?
I am not a creative person and so don’t expect me to write or direct a film. However, I will soon start producing films under our home banner. I have plans to cast new actors in those film. Sometime, later I will produce films in other languages as well. I am extremely proud of what Rockline Venkatesh is doing now (producing films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi). I do not know the difference between art and commercial films. Any film that compels you to watch it again and again is good cinema. Good cinema does not require stars.

How do you see the market for Kannada films?
Do we face a small amount of competition here? Only the good films of other languages get released in Bangalore and Karnataka. We do not get to see their average and bad films. But you see each and every Kannada film made being released. So you are comparing only the good films from other languages with every film made here. In reality good films in Kannada are as good as good films from other languages. Every few years a trend picks up and Kannada films will be the flavour when its time comes. There are many different ways to improve our market. One suggestion I received was to have subtitles in English for Kannada films. I think it is a good idea. Those who have stayed in Karnataka for 8-10 years should begin to watch Kannada films.

Things I Love
Favourite Films
Bhagyavanta is my favourite film as a child actor. Next comes Bettada Hoo. I like my other films and it may be more popular for others, but for me the one closest to the heart is Bhagyavanta. As a lead actor, Appu is my favourite as it was my first film.

I am a foodie
I do not diet on Sundays. I eat everything I can. I am a foodie and especially love fatty foods. I cannot escape mutton, cakes, sweets and anything with fat in it. Mutton biryani is my favourite. I also like specific regional delicacies like jowar roti, neer dosay, boiled rice and gruel, the shira of North Karnataka. I am a foodie.

I love singing
Banadaariyalli soorya jaari banda is my all-time favourite song that I have sung. I was a child actor and singing too was part of the fun I was having as a child actor. It was not work but when I look back, this song haunts me. I will surely be considered a good singer for Guruvaara Sanje from Power Star.

Dasara
Dasara is my favourite festival. One of the reasons is because we have our film units and we worship all the tools (camera and others) during Ayudha Pooja. I have missed Dasara due to shooting schedules for the last three years. I did not want to miss it this time and stayed put in Bangalore.

Wanna buy a robot
If not for my wife, I would have a gadget, speaker or some instrument in every corner of every room in the house. She restricts it. I am a gadgets freak. I want every new gadget that gets launched. Though I am an ardent Apple fan, I still purchased a Google Glass. But that does not mean I will splurge. I will wait for the new iPhone 6 rates to get realistic before buying it. Ever since I watched Giant Robot on television as a child, I wanted to own a robot of my own. That is still my dream. I want a robot of my own.

Yash is impressive
Among the younger actors, I believe Dhananjay is very promising. Dhruva is another. I love Yash’s work. When I watched Yash and Radhika Pandit in their first film, I had said they would be the next big thing. It has come true.

Unique role
In Anna Bond, I needed to look like a hardened workman. I would not say it was difficult to get in shape for that. But it was something I had not done before and therefore challenging. I have not yet had a role where I had to go to the extremes. Fans may say some of my roles were unique but as an actor I am yet to get a role like that. It depends on the maker.

Mini-Screen stint
Many actors before me have had stints on the small screen. One of the reasons I accepted Kannadada Kotyadipati was because my dad was a big fan of the Kaun Banega Crorepati. For me it was a challenge. I said why not try it. As a child, I was a fan of Siddartha Basu and when I got the opportunity to work with him, I could not say no. KK is one of my most memorable works to date.