"Time flies," says Ganesh when asked about his completing 14 years in the film industry. “I got to realise only when my fans updated me. Director Yogaraj Bhat, who more or less started his directorial journey around the same time as me, over a telephonic conversation talked about my journey, when he mentioned, ‘I thought that we were here for 200 years, but it’s been just 14 years,” chuckles the actor, mentioning that he has completed 20 years in television as an anchor, host and in cinema as well. He adds, “It is 14 years of my journey as a hero.”
While the actor is utilising this lockdown period to spend time with his family and doing his bit of social service, Ganesh is also reassessing himself as an actor by watching his films.
“I have been watching my old films on television. This is helping me analyse the characters and subjects I have played, as I feel I could’ve done certain roles better,” says Ganesh, adding that till date, he has never had so much time to spare.
“Even before becoming an actor, during my college years, I never sat in one place. After completing my classes, I would either be at rehearsals or coaching centres. I did part-time jobs as well. I remember doing brand survey jobs, for which we were paid by the hour. I did all this for my pocket money and to watch movies. Sitting idle has been never been a habit. After I started my career, this is the first time, I have been this free. It’s been almost 65 days,” says Ganesh.
The actor had completed a schedule for director Suni’s Sakath, and was supposed to resume shooting in March when the lockdown was announced. “The latest film I watched of mine was Pataki, and I felt that I should do a cop role again,” he says.
Ganesh, who shot to fame as a host with the talk show Comedy Time, says it gave him a big boost. His first stint in cinema started with a villain’s role in Tapori. He later played supporting roles, until he got a break to play the lead in Chellata in 2006. However, the actor, who is better known for Mungaru Male, says it was a golden period for him when he managed to give a series of hits.
“Hit or flop is part of one’s career. But one should not fail as an actor. If you do, it is the end of your career. There have been films which were experiments and would not have connected with the audiences.
However, as an actor, I would have enjoyed the role. I have enjoyed the best hits and was glad to see my director and producers happy. But at the same time, whenever I had super hits, I felt fear within,” he says The actor says before Mungaru Male, he didn’t have a clear idea about films getting a ‘super hit’ tag.
“I immersed myself into dialogue delivery and acting, and never tried to learn the business aspects of cinema. So I didn’t have that fear.
Once Mungaru Male was a hit, I thought it will be the same status with every film of mine. However, it was when I saw my first failure, which I think might have been my 11th or 12th, that I got to know the difference between a super hit, an average and a flop film,” recalls Ganesh, adding, “Whether you give a series of hits or not, at the end of the day, as an actor, you have to take a fresh call with every project.”
Today, the actor, has also tried his hand at direction, production and singing. But according to Ganesh, “There is not much to say in my 14-year journey because a lot has come by.” He now has three projects lined up. “I have Sakath, Yogaraj Bhat’s Gaalipata 2 and Trible Riding,” he reveals.
Quarantine lessons
The actor is spending his lockdown time with family and video chatting with friends. “Enjoy every moment of life. Laugh out loud, be kind to others. At the end of the day, nothing else matters. Money and status don’t hold value here, humanity does. Quarantine period has taught everybody of us, a lot of lessons,” he says.
The Golden Star
Reminded about how and when he was tagged as the Golden Star, Ganesh says, “It was at a time when Mungaru Male and Hudugata were declared as massive hits, and Chelluvina Chittara was doing well. I was written about a lot and people felt that everything I touched was turning to gold. I remember the lines that read, ‘Golden time for Sandalwood’, and I was given the ‘Golden Star’ tag, which holds a special place in my life.”