On the sets of Avane Srimannarayana, all that Balaji Manohar was required to do was to stay relaxed, only to become an angry and disgusting Jayarama. That’s how the actor went about handling his role as a villain for the period cop drama, starring Rakhit Shetty, and directed by Sachin Ravi. The actor, who is also popular as a cinematographer, was picked by Rakshit Shetty when the latter got convinced after watching his role in Churi Katte, and felt that he matched the looks of the character. The rest of the team too became convinced after watching one of his short films.
According to Balaji, the character of Jayarama that will be seen on the screen in Avane Srimannarayana, can be credited to Rakshit and director Sachin B Ravi. “Rakshit puts everybody on the sets in a good, healthy atmosphere. That way, each and every soul gives their best to the role. We didn’t spend a single day in a negative atmosphere, or rushing through shots. He came across as a generous and outspoken person. I saw good teamwork, “ he says, describing the character of Jayarama as conventional and composed but menacing at the same time.
Even after spending 20 years on the stage, television and cinema, Balaji says he is feeling some kind of nervousness as the release date is approaching. “I call this healthy nervousness. This is one of the most memorable roles I have performed until now. It is a kind of new experience for me. Moreover, this work of mine will be seen in different languages,” he adds.
Balaji has been dabbling in Kannada and English theatre as well as cinema, working as an actor, associate director, and assistant director for theatre plays. “After 11 years of pursuing filmmaking as a career, I enrolled myself into New York University, which had a campus in Singapore. I graduated in 2014 after studying film programming for three years. This course gave me a completely different experience, and enabled me to equip myself to write, direct, shoot, handle sound and everything about cinema. Luckily for me, I fell in love with cinematography as well when I received an award at a worldwide competition in 2013,” says Balaji.
Ask him how he handles the different areas of work in the industry, as DOP and as an actor, and he replies, “I am an artiste who is constantly evolving in different fields of cinema, and that’s why I don’t have a visiting card.” Today, he calls himself an art practitioner, and does not like to project himself as just a cinematographer or actor. “I like to be an interesting project, where I can use the skills that the director and producer want me to. I don’t have a career plan. However, given a choice between acting and DOP, I would opt for being in front of the camera. Cinematography has been a passion for seven years, which I equally enjoy,” he says.