Southern Comfort

You may not have heard of Savaari,but the sociological import of this Kannada blockbuster is not to be taken lightly. In fact, it will be of vital importance for the obsessive kinds of the Bengali race who try to stake claim in every possible success story (Hrithik’s great grandmother was a Bengali,Kareena’s grandparents spent a few years in Kolkata,Dhoni can understand Bengali). The lead stars of the film,Raghu Mukherjee and Kamalini Mukherjee,are both Bengalis. And they aren’t just a pair of starlets traying to make mark,the Mukherjee duo is being hailed as the new faces of Kannada cinema. A significant achievement indeed considering the fact that both these actors are rank newcomers to the industry. “When I started my film career,I was asked to do away with my surname. I was told that the Kannada audience will find it difficult to relate to my Bengali surname,” says Raghu. But clearly his advisors had misjudged the Kannada audience’s attitude. Not only did this Bangalore-bred Bong achieve instant stardom,he also managed to impress the conservative Kannada audience with his flawless dialogue delivery. “I faced no problem with the language because I have always spoken Kannada,” he claims.

His co-star,Kamalini,however,had no such advantage. Brought up in Kolkata,Mukherejee has acted in several Tamil and Telugu films,but was not conversant with the language at all. “This is my first Kannada film and I didn’t know what the dialogues were all about. I learnt the script by heart and would translate the lines in Bengali first in my mind before delivering them to get the expressions right,” says Kamalini.

Interestingly,Raghu and Kamalini aren’t the only Bengalis negotiating a career in the Kannada film industry. Their most significant predecessor is Tolywood’s own Priyanka Trivedi who has acted in a number of hit Kannada films before marrying the reigning Kannada superstar,Upendra. Then there is Aindrita Ray who burst into the scene with a successful potboiler,Junglee. “Even though I am not of Kannada origins I am perceived to be a Kannadiga here. People identify with me,” says Ray.

And why this sudden influx of Bengali actors in the Kannada film industry. “Bangalore,the seat of Kannada film industry,is a very cosmopolitan face. People are used to seeing all kind of faces around,” claims Ray. Raghu claims that new faces have infused a lot of energy in the industry. “People want to see new faces and new perspectives. It doesn’t matter if you are a Bengali or a Punjabi,you only have to love the culture enough to be accepted,” he says. Kamalini reiterates. “People here are quite open to new faces. They don’t care where you come from as long as you act convincingly. And it shouldn’t really matter. Art knows no barrier.” Touche.