Dwarkish, the legendary Kannada actor, comedian, producer, director, and a true visionary of cinema, was affectionately known as “Dwarki Mama” to me since childhood. As a kid, I fondly remember him engaging in deep conversations with my father, punctuated by bursts of laughter every couple of minutes. The screening of his blockbuster movie “Mayor Muthanna,” starring Dr. Raj Kumar, at his Madras residence in 1969, was my first Kannada movie experience, and it left me utterly blown away, little did I know that it would come back to me years later.
Over the years, I witnessed first-hand all that one hears in the media about his pioneering and visionary approach, with a long string of many firsts in the Kannada film industry. I was privileged to witness these unfold before my eyes – the first international shoot in Singapore, followed by South Africa, the first Kannada song by Kishore Kumar, the first Bappi Lahari, and Nazia Hassan’s song for a Kannada film, among others. He was honoured with the Life time achievement award by the Dada Saheb Phalke Academy.
However, one achievement that went largely unnoticed was that he holds the record of being the only comedian and film producer in the world to have acted in more than 100 films and produced 50 films, surpassing Charlie Chaplin by a huge margin.
Cut to 1998, after many years, I reunited with him as an advertising filmmaker at our Bangalore residence, he was discussing story concepts with my father, who continued to be his friend, philosopher, and guide when it came to movies. In a casual remark, he inquired about my profession, and upon learning of my keen interest to experience film making beyond the 30-second television advertisements, he invited me to be part of his next production, “Majnu,” starring his son Girish, Prakash Raj, and Sharad Babu.
My privilege and unthinkable opportunity unfolded, and I had a whale of a time on this project as a creative director. One of my responsibilities was to collaborate with the trailblazing music director Gurukiran and create six songs, including Sonu Nigam’s first Kannada hit song, which was also aired on MTV. I was also given the opportunity to picturize and direct the song in Ooty. Dwarki Mama trusted me so much that I had a say in every department, including costumes, editing, still photography, poster shoots etc.
As the years went by, the opportunities and privileges continued to expand even further. I was asked to come up with a storyline for the sequel to the mega-blockbuster movie “Aptha Mitra.” Remarkably, my version was selected by him and his producer son Yogish. It didn’t stop there; I was encouraged to venture into screenplay writing, my first full-fledged feature film screenplay writing experience under his guidance. Although the sequel didn’t materialize, my experience was invaluable.
A few years later, the opportunity and stakes were raised even higher. Once again, I was called in, this time to develop a storyline for a modern version of the legendary movie “Mayor Muthanna,” with the late Puneet Rajkumar as the lead actor. I had the privilege of Dwarki Mama sitting by my side over several weekends, teaching me the art of writing for the big screen. As every scene was written, I had the opportunity to soak in his rich wisdom and filmmaking experience shared on a one-on-one basis. In the process, I also picked up numerous life lessons that I am confident no one else would have had such an opportunity to learn. As the screenplay writing progressed, the next thing I knew was that he was preparing me to direct the film too. We were in touch with Puneeth’s mother and brother to commence production. Unfortunately, the project was called off at an advanced stage, but the confidence he had in me was the true reward.
Our relationship continued thereafter, discussing films and ideas, just as he once did with my father. He saw my father in me; he would discuss many personal matters and would listen to my suggestions with an open mind. Behind the most shrewd businessman and flamboyant showman, I saw another side of Dwarkish, unseen by the world outside – a sensitive and egoless individual who acknowledged his mistakes and took all failures in stride, relishing his rich journey with clarity.
Dwarkish helped me discover so much about myself. Thank you, Dwarki Mama, for all the privileges and opportunities you gave me. I am proud to have known you!
A personal note by Pavan Padaki on Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath
