Happy place Ramya: ‘I don’t have to sign every project that comes my way

Puneet Rajkumar may have been thrust with the title of ‘Power Star’ by enthusiastic fans thanks to his daredevil stunts but the actor in him is hungry for diverse characters. “I don’t like too much violence and try to shun remakes as much as possible,” says the star. He’s the highest paid Kannada actor and has a responsibility towards his fans and producers, which makes it difficult for him to veer away from the oft-trodden path. He has done a couple of mediocre films but doesn’t sign too many projects and waits for a script that’s intriguing. One such film is “Milana” directed by his cousin, Prakash who showed promise with “Rishi”. “Milana” had mixed reports as they say in filmi trade parlance but settled down to be a steady earner. Mano Murthy has again come up with a couple of hummable tunes and Puneet is being appreciated. Sivaji Ganesan’s son’s close family friends had approached Puneet to do a film they wanted to produce. Prathap Pothen flew down and narrated a couple of story ideas but the project fell through. Now things are finalized and P. Vasu will direct the project. “I like to work with youngsters because their ideas are fresh and they have a passion to prove themselves.” says the star about Prakash.

You can determine Ramya’s mood by the way she says ‘Hi’. If it’s shrill, breathless and nearly endless as it was this time, then she’s in fine fettle and in her best elements. “My phone was switched off and I had a blast,” she says about her annual pilgrimage of pleasure to Goa with her posse of pals on her birthday. Well, professionally too she can’t ask for more. Her Diwali Tamil release “Polladhavan” is a big hit and though she doesn’t have much to do by way of scenes she’s there in all the songs and it’s good to be part of a successful film. With rumours flowing that she’s deserted Kannada cinema in search of greener pastures, she’s signed three films here. “People must understand that I’ve reached a stage where I don’t have to sign every project that comes my way,” says the star. Her enthusiasm hasn’t waned about the seemingly endless delay in finishing Gautam Menon’s “Vaaranam Aayiram”. That’s one film she says is worth waiting for because her character ages from school girl to a woman. “I’ve worked hard and the rest is up to the audience,” says the star who’s been invited to Dubai, courtesy Emirates Airlines, where her short film about AIDS directed by Santosh Sivan is being screened.

Filmmakers are old hands at arousing the curiosity of audiences by slipping bits of intriguing nuggets about behind-the-scenes activities, be it the lead pair getting warm at a cold outdoor shoot or a couple of sleazy scenes. Kavita Lankesh has finished “Avva” and the first tid-bit was that there was a kissing scene between the lead pair. Now we learn that there are some intimate scenes too.

The film will be released early next year but this has aroused enough curiosity to guarantee a decent opening.

The much touted Ramya- Rakshitha on-screen face-off fizzled in her last venture so lets hope a couple of sizzling scenes help “Avva”.

S. SHIVA KUMAR

sshivu@yahoo.com