Sudeep is a well respected actor in the Kannada film industry. His arrival as a lead actor in the movie Sparsha was welcomed by Kannada cine lovers which was looking for some fresh talent. With his good looks and screen presence he has established himself as a dependable star and has also done his stint as a director. Such being the case I was terribly upset when I watched this interview of Sudeep on youtube (click here to watch the interview. It is on a Kannada TV, but they speak a lot of English). I thought he treated the interviewers with total disregard. I could not help conclude that his handling of the interview lacked finesse and professionalism. I have seen other actors fail to impress as individuals, not because they are not good individuals but they stop being themselves and start behaving arrogantly, once they acheive some amount of stardom.
Obviously this interview is a couple of years old and as such Sudeep may have left it behind him. My views are definitely not a personal comment on Sudeep. It is just that this interview is a typical representation of the mentality of many current Indian movie stars which is worth commenting about.
Now let's take some points raised in the interview. When asked about the success of recent hits like 'Mungaru Male' he was much more interested in denying credit to Ganesh the star of the movie than on talking about what led to the movie's success and learning from it. In fact Ganesh did have a great part in the success of Mungaru Male. Sudeep was upset that so much credit is being given to Ganesh for the success of the film. His comparison of Darshan and Ganesh was unwarranted. It sounds totally ridiculous when one movie star puts down another by saying "Darshan is 6 feet tall and Ganesh is juts 3.5 feet. avanelli ivanelli". I hope Sudeep recognises the irony in his view. Doesn't he know that irrespective of physical attributes the hero always beats the life out of the bad guy and his menacing bunch of 20 or more hoodlums armed with longs and machetes. More ironic was his denial of Ganesh's instant stardom with a reference to how much hard work a superstar like Vishnuvardhan had to endure before he was recognized as a star. We have not seen Dr. Rajkumar or Dr. Vishnu behaving like this in an interview. Even though they are from a previous generation, nothing stopped them from being snooty. But I am mindful of the fact that times are different now. Celebrities are in the public view more now than before what with 24 hour TV and Internet. Comparison is futile in such situations. But public life is as much an opportunity to present yourself impressively as it is a risk of revealing one's dirtier side.
The interviewers looked like very enthusiastic kids who were just eager to do a good interview. They asked pertinent questions. But Sudeep's demeanor was as if he was saying "I know what I should do and I know better than you ." They seemed excited to be given this opportunity to interview a star and he could have been encouraging. But he seemed to gain some satisfaction in putting down their views and questions.
I was impressed with the mild tenacity shown by the interviewers. In spite of being brushed aside by a domineering personality they kept pressing him on with their questions. The way the subject reacts to a question reveals a lot even if the subject does not answer the question.
The Indian film stars will do well if they can demonstrate the skills needed to present a professional public persona. I can't help compare this situation with the way the Nicole Kidmans, Tom Cruises and George Clooneys or the Obamas for that matter, charm the interviewer and the audience leaving a favourable impression.
Now that the world's gaze is falling more and more on the so called 'Bollywood' films industry, our stars will do well to learn that presenting oneself in a public forum is much different on the world stage. Self absorbed boorishness is not the way to go. A charming behavior with a touch of gentle humor sounds like a better choice. If they can demonstrate a whiff of intellect that would make them very sought after guests.
For your viewing please here are some links which speak for themselves. I liked the way Shah Rukh Khan handled his interview. He was very impressive with his awareness of the world around him. Thanks to those who have provided this content.
Sudeep's Interview on Kannada TV (But they speak a lot of English)
Aishwarya Rai on Letterman
Shah Rukh Khan on NPR. (Audio only)
You can also search for Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bacchan's interview on you tube.
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