We are witnessing a start of a new dawn in the Telugu film industry, in more ways than one. Youngsters are brimming with ideas as the audience is unabashedly backing content-driven cinema, while dismissing the formulaic films with disdain. Films adhering to the usual song-fights method of commercial success have fallen flat and those that tried different concepts were rewarded. The success of films like Kshanam, Oopiri and the recently released Pelli Choopulu – is testament to this shift in the industry.
As Telugu cinema takes a refreshingly new road, the humour used in films is also gradually changing. Veteran actor Brahmnanandam, possibly the greatest Telugu comedian of this generation, now finds himself out of favour.
The 60-year-old comedian, who holds the Guiness World Record for the most screen credits for a living actor, is seen in just four films in 2016 – staggering for a man without whom making a commercial film was deemed nearly impossible.
People close to the actor have cited age, price and competition – as primary reasons for his decline. “With the emergence of other comedians like Posani Murali Krishna, Sapthagiri and Prudhviraj, filmmakers have realised that they no longer have to depend on Brahmanandam alone, for a comic element in their films. Brahmanandam comes with a pretty hefty price tag attached, so producers are roping in others for much cheaper,” revealed an industry insider, under the condition of anonymity. At the age of 60, he doesn’t seem to be growing any younger either and with his humour getting stale and repetitive, producers are emboldened to explore other alternatives. Several industry insiders have also said that the actor’s style of working and attitude has not gone down well with a few production houses.
“He has too many demands. He expects facilities of the highest quality. He wants lunch to be served in his trailer all the time and take breaks at frequent intervals. Since he is a legend, it makes others feel uncomfortable. Producers have realised that they can get other comedians for cheaper and who can wrap up shoot more quickly. This is why Brahmanandam is getting less offers these days,” revealed a source in the know.
People close to the star comedian though feel that it’s merely a case of Brahmanandam being more selective of the roles he takes up, rather than offers drying up for him. “Brahmanandam is one of the hardest working actors in Tollywood. However, he is now 60 years old and is already a legend in the industry. He feels that he can now relax a bit and there’s no need for him to accept every film that comes his way. Of course, for banners like Suresh Productions, who he considers close friends, he is still willing to do any role – big or small. But for some of the others, he’s thinking twice before signing on a new movie,” pointed out a source close to the comedian.
Film critics, on the other hand, believe that while there’s no question that the star comedian is now on the wane, he still stands head and shoulders above his peers.
“At this stage, Brahmanandam is still the highest paid comedian in the industry. There are several new talented comedians coming up who are doing well, but not one of them is dominating the industry like Brahmanandam used to. If Sapthagiri is good in one movie, Prudhviraj is good in another and now we’re all raving about Priyadarshi (Pelli Choopulu). But can we single out one name and say that he is the best comedian in Tollywood?,” observed Dr Rentala Jayadeva, Nandi award-winning film critic.
“These young actors are in form but Brahmanandam garu is class -- and class is permanent. This is indeed an end of an era in Telugu comedy,” he added.
While it’s true that Brahmanandam failed to leave the audience in splits in the recent past, it’s not entirely his fault since he’s being given only stereotypical roles. Many within the industry believe that directors are not tapping into his full potential and instead keep giving him poorly written characters time and time again.
“The problem is that people are easily judged. Even now I fear that actors who do comic roles will get typecast as comedians. I don’t think it works that way. I don’t think it is necessary to compartmentalise people into A,B,C centres or into ‘Mass’ and ‘Class’,” observes director Tharun Bhascker, who beautifully used situational comedy in his latest film Pelli Choopulu. Tharun, who received tremendous praise for his directorial debut, believes that people mustn’t view Brahmanandam as a comedian, but as a talented actor.
“We need to change the way we view the industry. Brahmanandam garu is an exceptional actor and he can do a brilliant job in a father’s role. In a serious role, he can even win the national award. We haven’t seen things in that particular way. We are used to seeing things which work. I think we can only test new waters by seeing things our own way, believing in our gut and being honest to our subject,” he added. For the audiences’ sake, we hope this does happen in the near future.