So the long-pending Samar is done... what’s on your mind right now?

Jagapathi Babu has spent a quarter of his life in the fi lm industry acting primarily in Telugu fi lms and a few in other languages. He is close to reaching a century in fi lms and has worked with some of the biggest directors in the industry. Jagapathi Babu worked in multi-starrers when his career was at the peak and continues to do so even now when others preferred to go solo. Awards and accolades have been heaped on him, and yet, his feet are fi rmly grounded.

What prompted you to explore the South Indian fi lm industry?

A lot of our Hindi films are south remakes nowadays. South Indian films have great scripts. One learns a lot from working here. A number of South Indian actors are working in Hindi fi lms, so why shouldn’t Hindi fi lm actors try working in South Indian fi lms?

Not many female actors have performed well in action roles in Kannada films in recent times. What’s the reason behind this transformation?

(Southscope Nov 2012 Issue)

(Southscope July 2012 Issue)

Six years ago, when music maestros were ruling the roost in the Kannada film industry, leading producers were not ready to experiment with newcomers, much less someone like Harikrishna, who had no ‘godfather’. It was superstar Darshan, who gave the much-required break to the struggling composer. A protégé of actor-director V Ravichandran, it took Harikrishna a long time to emerge out of his shadow. And, the industry did not seem to like it when Darshan selected Harikrishna for his home production, Jothe Jotheyali.

(Southscope July 2012 Issue)

(Southscope July 2012 Issue)

With just one song and one movie, Parul Yadav is where most female leads cannot be even after 10 films. That is the magic of cinema. The hit song of 2012, Pyarge Aagbittaitthe has made her a household name in Karnataka and beyond. If it was only the song that was good, it could have been treated as a flash in the pan. But even the movie, Govindaya Namaha has become a blockbuster! And Parul is now flooded with offers.

Diganth Manchale has consistently delivered one hit after the other in the last four years, and has gradually risen to be listed among the top actors. Entering the industry in 2006, he was virtually a greenhorn with no godfather or guide. “It has been a long journey, considering the fact that I started as a new face. In showbiz, you don’t get into an elevator and press the button to reach the top. That’s not possible under the prevailing circumstances. Like any hard worker, I have taken one step at a time to climb the ladder of success,” declares Diganth.