Namma Chinnari Muttha is all set to entertain Kannada audiences with a new love story called Nanna Ninna Prema Kathe. Actor Vijay Raghavendra opens up to Bengaluru Chronicle about his latest film, his equation with his brother and more….
Ask him about Nanna Ninna Prema Kathe directed by Shivu Jamkhandi and he says, “It’s a love story set against the backdrop of Bijapur and Jamkhandi. What’s unique in our film is the accent and dialect we have used to converse.
The dialogues are spoken in true north Karnataka style throughout the film. This makes the conversation more intense and deep. We did need a certain amount of practice to get the dialect right.”
His co-star in the film is Kodagu beauty Nidhi Subbaiah. How was it working with her? “Nidhi has not been seen for quite some time in the Kannada industry. Her character is a very intense one. She’s a thorough professional and also because she knows Kannada, it was easy to work with her,” answers Vijay.
The actor has even crooned a song called Majboot Haagidhe for the film. Talking about his lesser known talent, he says, “I have been singing since my Sevanti Sevanti days and have also lent my voice to films like Ganesha Mathe Bandha, Fair and Lovely and recently, Akira. I was trained in Carnatic music and have even done my junior level, but I couldn’t continue training seriously post-1999.”
With movies like U Turn and Rangi Taranga, Kannada cinema is now seeing content-driven films which are hatke. What does he think of this change? “We certainly need more such films. This is just the beginning, albeit a small one. The audience is opening up to substance-driven films. The makers were always there, but there weren’t enough takers. But now, thanks to various channels of promotion, people have gotten closer to the Kannada industry and are making an effort to understand the entertainment industry,” says the multi-talented actor.
Coming to his future projects, he reveals that his first directorial venture, which is also being produced by him is titled Kismat. “It’s a social drama, but set up in a very unusual screenplay format. The movie will release in June or July,” he says.
As for his personal life, Vijay is known to be a family man — a loving husband and a doting daddy. How does he spend time with his family when not shooting? “All I do is keep loving them more whenever I get the time! On a serious note, I hardly get to spend time with my wife, son or parents. Whenever I have some time, we try to meet at home, but on special occasions, I make sure I’m there.”
With his brother Sri Murali also being an actor, Vijay reveals that there’s no sense of competition between the two. “When he does well, I am more content than when I am successful. It’s the same thought from his side as well. When Ugramm released, I was so excited and my only regret was that I didn’t know how to whistle when I saw him onscreen!”
