Film industry is a gambling: says Golden star Ganesh

Golden star Ganesh, who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming movie Maduve Mane with Shraddha Arya, is all happy because his much-delayed movie Ullasa Utsaha was released on April 30. The film has got a good opening and all the theatres were running houseful on the first day of its release.

The Kannada actor has loads of dreams about his forthcoming movie Maduve Mane. Recently, he was at Radio Mirchi to kick start the on-air campaign of Sunfeast World 10K. The Golden star extensively spoke to Oneindia about his film Maduve Mane, the upcoming projects under his own banner Golden Movies and his family. Here are the excerpts of actor Ganesh Interview.

Your much-delayed movie Ullasa Utsaha has finally hit the screen. How is the response for it?
The movie has got a good opening. The producer called me at 4.00 today (May 30) and told me that first two shows were houseful in all the theatres in Bangalore. It is a good comedy-cum-love story and audience will like it. I'm sure that the movie will be successful at the Box Office too.

It was reported that Ullasa Utsaha was ready for release even before your hit movie Maleyali Jotheyali. Why was it delayed for so long?
All the works for Ullasa Utsaha were over except DTS mixing. So we released the MJ. After that, we waited MJ to complete 100 days. When we were about to release Ullasa Utsaha, the IPL matches started. So the movie got delayed again.

Currently your Maduve Mane is making a big news. What is the story of it? What role are you playing?
Yes! There is lot of hype and expectation about MM. It is a romantic story and I am playing totally a different role. Though it is a lover-boy image, I have never played such a role in any of my previous films.

What would you like to tell about the shooting of MM?
Recently, we've completed the shooting of first schedule for MM. The movie has been shot in Bangalore, Talkinad and forest areas of Tirupati. Another specialty of the shooting is that it has been shot in a village called Yadikuriya. It's place, which is surrounded by water. It is a beautiful island. Sivaji Ganeshan"s film Mughal Maryada was first shot in this place some 20 or 30 years back. After that no other movie has done its shooting there.

There were reports saying that MM is a remake of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. What is your take on this?
No! Those are all false reports. MM is an original and straight movie. It has an excellent storyline and dialogues written by Sunil Kumar Singh

What are your upcoming movies under your own banner 'Golden Movies'?
In fact, two scripts are ready and I've finalized one and planned to do it for this year. Currently, work is going on another two scripts, which will be done next year.

Nearly 115 movies were produced in the year 2009 and out of them not even 15 movies were successful. What is the reason for so many flop films? Why is Kannada film industry suffering?
Let me tell you first of all, I am not an expert from Gandhinagar to give reasons for your question. I"m an actor and I will do my work honestly and that"s all. Rest is left to the audience. What I feel is film industry is a gambling. Nobody can predict success and failure. We can just hope that a movie will be successful. Secondly, it is not only Kannada films, but all south Indian and Hindi films are facing setback at the Box Office. Tell me how many movies are successful in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi at the Box Office last year. You can count them on your fingers.

Do you think remakes are responsible for this failure? Would you like to produce remakes under your banner?
You can"t say that remakes are the responsible aspect for the failure. There were several original movies produced last year and they were utter flops at the Box office. Good movies will definitely win. But it is very hard to guess the audience taste. What I feel is audience need two fights, comedy, punch dialogues and love story and I would like to give a movie with these commercial elements. Personally, I don"t like remakes. I like straight films and I will try to produce the same under my banner. But acting is my profession and if somebody comes with a remake, which has good storyline and commercial elements, I will accept it.

You have become a Brand Ambassador of Sun Feast Kannada Film Awards. How do you feel?
It"s really great. I'd like to tell one more thing, which I have never revealed before. I don"t know how much remuneration I earn from it, but I'd offer that amount for the benefit of orphan kids. Earlier, I'd donated my remuneration, which I had earned from two Marathon races, to Harmony old age home.

Finally, how do you feel to be a dad of a baby girl?

My daughter is 18 months old now. She has started walking and talking and I'm having a great time with her at home. In fact my first duty is to keep my family at ease. If I see their happy faces and leave my home, all my works on that day will be successful.