Following the press meet at Annapurna studios, Where Devanand was announced as the first recipient of the ANR award, ANR himself showed us around his award gallery. It is simply amazing to look at the number of awards he had received during his six decades of journey through the film industry. Even the smaller awards presented to him during his early years in the theater are proudly displayed along with the more prestigious and famous ones. Following that trip down his memory lane he spoke to Ragalahari on various issues. Here are excerpts from that interview.
Q: The correct date of your birth is always in doubt. When actually is your birthday?
A: In my autobiography written by Mullapudi Venkataramana my birthday is printed as September 20th 1924. On the same day my fans celebrate my birthday at various organizations related to me. But September 21st is the date mentioned on all my legal documents. In truth I actually do not know the date of the birth, because in those day people would not actually remember their birthdays nor celebrate them due to large families.
Q: You do not have a proper educational background yet when we speak to you we cannot help but notice the amount of knowledge you emanate?
A: Valmiki was not educated, yet he wrote the Ramayana. How educated was Kamaraj? But he became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. What did Stalin study that he affected the world so. The knowledge I have is what my life taught me. All these years in the film industry and the interactions I had with the people here and how and what they spoke taught me a lot.
In fact when I entered the film industry I did not even know how to greet the other person. Once Gudavalli Ramabrahmam even got angry and said “Yavadra veedu, Namaskaram kuda pettatam radu”( who is chap, he doesn’t even know how to say Namaste). Then a person told him that I was from a village and not to bother about me.
I consider my movies KALIDASU, DEVADASU, DARMADATA etc as my PhDs.
Q: But your English is also flawless?
A: Once I reached a stature, one of my friends suggested that I learn to speak English. So I appointed an English tutor for myself. I even started reading English newspapers to improve my fluency in the language.
Q: Did you feel anytime that you know everything?
A: Only a fool would think he knows everything. When anybody asks me how much do I know, I reply by saying that I have enough knowledge to decide what is right or wrong for me. I would be a fool to accept a role like that of Raavana just because the producer is offering me a hefty sum for it. Because I know that I do not suit such roles.
Q: Despite your age, you are very young at both heart and mind?
A: (laughs)…May be it’s my genes. It’s the way I maintain myself. Even when I go for morning walks, other people of my age come up to me and say that their wives are complaining telling that they are not being as active as I am.
Q: What is your comment on the movies being made today?
A: I consider the film industry as my mother. And any comment I make about this industry would be like commenting on my mother. So I will refrain from it. See every industry has it good and bad side. There are still some good film makers in the industry. We have to change according to the people’s tastes and needs. It is like how the people’s tastes in clothes have changed over the years. We cannot say women are bad nowadays because they prefer salwar-kameez, to a sari. At the same time you don’t find men wearing ‘panchi’ anymore.
Speaking of clothes, I had a rather embarrassing experience following which I started wearing pants for work. Initially I always used to wear ‘panchi’ for work. That is what I am most comfortable in. one day, in 1975, when we just started Annapurna studios, three couples came to meet me. I was walking behind the ladies while showing them around. Suddenly a strong wind blew and I had a real tough time handling my ‘panchi’ and with the ladies in front of me it was very embarrassing. After that I immediately bought a dozen pants.
Q: There is a lot of respect, in the sense of touching a person’s feet, given to the seniors in the political as well the film field. Is this respect shown in the true sense or is it fear?
A: Some people do it out of genuine respect for the person. I also know of a few people who expect others to respect them because of their stature in the respective fields. But sometimes this show of affection and respect is necessary in order to tell the media how important that person means to the other.
As far as I can remember Dukkipati Madhusudan Rao is the only person, from the film industry, whose feet I have touched during his felicitation program. Because of him I was able to make a place for myself in this industry.
Q: Do you like to read books?
A: No. I do not read books. I fall asleep by the time I finish reading the first page itself. Books have not been my source of knowledge. There is one fan of mine who cannot see. Yet when ever he sees, or rather listens to a movie of mine, he calls me up and tells which scenes were good and which were not. He does not require eyes to appreciate good acting. Similarly different people have different ways of attaining knowledge.
Q: You spoke in different dialects in different movies. Did your experience in theater help you in that aspect?
A: That did help me to a certain extent. But I usually learned the dialects from people. Like for the movie VIPRANARAYANA I portrayed the role of a Brahmin, which required me speak in pure Telugu. So I appointed an assistant who spoke pure Telugu. That way I was able to learn to speak as required.
Q: Do you believe in god?
A: As far as I know, if you delete ‘o’ from good you get god. I believe in hard work. I like people who are hardworking and sincere in what they do. I don’t offer money to god. But I will give money to a good person in need of help.
Q: What is the true measure of appreciation for an artist? Because many artists who have done good and varied roles do not get the proper kind of encouragement and respect (in way of awards) they are due. Why?
A: The true appreciation for an actor is the response his character, in a movie, gets. As far as the awards go, see… what character one person liked the other may not like. And most of the awards are given to the most voted person/character.
Q: Does Akkineni International Foundation also plan to support industry people in need of financial help?
A: Why should I help people who squandered their money on pleasure activities? I won’t help such kind of people. I know why and how they wasted their money. If a handicapped person is in need of money I will be glad to help him.
Q: Your Dada Saheb Phalke was stolen quite some time back. Yet you were not able to procure the replacement as yet. Why?
A: The amazing thing about that incident was that even though some gold items were also there, they only stole the award. I wrote a letter requesting for the replica of the Dada Saheb Phalke award. I was asked to pay Rs 40,000 for it. I do not want pay for the award I received. It is a sentiment I have.
Q: After long gap you worked with your son in the movie SRI RAMADASU. Tell us about it?
A: I am very happy to have worked with my son in this movie. I am portraying the role of Kabirdas in this movie. Kabirdas is Ramadasu’s guru. So in the movie they are scenes where Ramadasu is shown as serving his guru. So the producers wanted an artist with a stature and experience as such, a person who can show that bond easily. So when they approached me for the role I agreed immediately. The length of the role is not important to me. How important the character is to the story and how much justice I can do to the character is what matters to me.
Q: You worked with Waheeda Rehaman in CHUKKALLO CHANDRUDU. Tell us about it?
A: This only my second movie with her. When I was acting as a hero, we did a movie together. That was a long time back. Mine is a very routine character in this movie, that of guiding my grandson
