MYSURU: K Manu is the most sought-after person by film buffs not only in Mysuru but in most parts of South Karnataka.
If there is any movement, film festival or even a group of movie enthusiasts who want to watch/screen a documentary, The Film Man, as he is fondly called, is the one to go to.
Manu has a collection of more than 3,500 movies and documentaries, some rare and not available in the market.
25-year Collection
The prints he has are of fine quality. He has a collection of DVDs and CDs over a period of 25 years.
During a movement against the Chamalapura power project, he screened documentaries on the consequences of coal plants in several villages near Mysuru city.
More than 200 shows were screened and finally the government was forced to withdraw the project.
He also gets invites from schools to screen films on various themes, including globalisation, anti-war and environment, as part of Continuous and Cumulative Evaluation (CCE).
All the 16 films lined up for screening as part of the six-day Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival at Rangayana are provided by him.
The films were carefully chosen keeping in mind the kind of audience the festival attracts.
Manu said it was tough to select films and
documentaries on Shakespeare as there are more than 450 films based on the works of the celebrated playwright.
“I went through as many as 90 films in English, Kannada and other languages before zeroing in on 16,” he added.
He said 19 films have been made on Macbeth itself and he has decided to show the one produced by Polish-born filmmaker Roman Polanski as it is the most realistic.
Housefull
The documentary and feature films based on English poet and playwright William Shakespeare staged at Rangayana ran to packed houses on Wednesday.
The documentary ‘In search of Shakespeare-1’ and feature films—Ran, a Japanese adaptation of King Lear directed by Akira Kurosawa, and Othello directed by Orson Welles—were screened on the second day.