Puneeth Rajkumar’s Yuvarathnaa was all set to become a blockbuster family drama when the second wave of the pandemic stopped its promising run in theatres. The Kannada superstar passed away a few months later, and since his untimely demise, the Kannada film industry has witnessed only a handful of family dramas anchored by A-list stars.
A family drama is a film that excites people of all age groups in a family. It bodes well for the movie if, in particular, women are interested in watching. The recently-released Darshan starrer Kaatera, a film that attempts to fight for the farmers’ cause, enjoyed a favourable response from women across several small towns of Karnataka. Director Tharun Sudhir refined the old-school family drama template with intense storytelling to make Kaatera appealing to youngsters who preferred a modern touch to a commercial pot-boiler.
A bygone era?
Kaatera’s success partly revives a genre that’s facing an uncertain future. Stars of Kannada cinema are either in an experimental mode or are attempting to cash in on the pan-India wave. The time is right to question if the industry sees the idea of a family drama as a thing of the past. It seems so, going by the line-up of Kannada stars for the coming years.
Puneeth Rajkumar in ‘Yuvarathnaa’. | Photo Credit: Hombale Films/YouTube
Veteran actor Shivarajkumar followed up his two period action dramas, Bhajarangi 2 and Vedha, with MG Srinivas’ heist film Ghost. After the success of Rajinikanth’s Jailer, in which Shivarajkumar played a cameo, the Kannada veteran has gradually accepted opportunities from other industries. Yash, after the gigantic success of the KGF films, was perhaps burdened by expectations as he took an unusually long time to announce his next. He will star in Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic, touted to be a crime-action drama. Sudeep’s next is Max, an action film. The actor will then return to direction (after ten years) for KK. The genre of the film isn’t known yet.
Unlike today, when one can’t predict the next choice from an actor or a filmmaker, the bygone era was more systematic. Famous production houses were known for churning out a particular genre of films in the 1970s and 80s. If Abhay Naidu was a pioneer in producing family dramas, M.P. Shankar’s Bharani Chitra bankrolled films about animal and environmental welfare. Dwarkish’s ambitious production company, Dwarakish Chitra, made action-adventure movies on a grand scale.
Well-known actors specialised in a specific genre. Ambareesh featured in political-action dramas (Antha, New Delhi) while Shankar Nag grew popular with action movies involving martial arts, earning him the moniker ‘Karate King’. Only Dr. Rajkumar excelled in all genres, from the mythological (Bhakta Prahalda) and detective thrillers (Operation Diamond Racket) to the historical (Ranadheera Kanteerava) and relationship dramas (Naa Ninna Mareyalare). The only other actor who proved his calibre in all kinds of roles before championing the family drama genre was Dr. Vishnuvardhan. In the early 2000s, he developed a strong following for his portrayals of a benevolent senior or brotherly figure (Yajamana, Hrudayavantha) who would go to any length to save his family. Ananth Nag’s comedy dramas also enticed the family crowd.
Reviving a genre
Vishnuvardhan’s passing dealt a blow to the family drama genre. After Kaashinath’s adult comedies surprised viewers in the late 80s, Upendra’s Om signalled the era of gangster movies in Kannada cinema. In addition, the rise of remakes pushed the family drama genre to the backburner. Once in a while, Ravichandran brought families together in cinema halls with his remakes of hit films, such as Ramachaari and Kanasugara.
Actor-director Rishab Shetty ‘Kantara’. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The start of the new millennium also saw yesteryear stars passing on the mantle to upcoming actors. The legacy of Dr. Rajkumar got carried forward by his youngest son, Puneeth Rajkumar. Puneeth became the face of the family drama genre with his consistent choice of movies that had something for all. Even in his off-beat movies, Puneeth ensured that the family-friendly nature of the story remained intact.
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Another important development was how Ramesh Aravind, who revelled in heartbreaking romantic dramas, gave way to Ganesh. In films such as Mungaru Male, Gaalipata, and Maleyali Jotheyali, Ganesh was the gentlemanly hero who made people laugh and cry, offering the perfect dose of entertainment required for a family viewing. That said, Ganesh’s career stagnated due to his poor choice of scripts, and filmmakers unable to provide him fresh characters.
After cementing his stardom, Sudeep chose to star in ensemble-led family dramas such as Maanikya and Ranna before jumping into the pan-India bandwagon. Darshan, who became the favourite star of the working-class community with his ‘mass’ action films, resurrected his career not once but twice by taking the risk of doing a historical drama, and mythological film, both films which catered to all audiences.
All the while, Shivarajkumar, who went on to become a big box office draw, gave us some of the all-time family drama classics, such as Janumada Jodi and Nammoora Mandara Hoove. However, the actor got pigeonholed in gangster movies following the gargantuan success of Jogi.
Amid the new-generation wave that produced path-breaking films in Kannada, the family drama genre experienced small moments of triumph. Dhananjaya, who has developed a connection with the middle-class community, starred in two hit family entertainers Badava Rascal and Rathnan Prapancha. The Rs of Kannada cinema — Rakshit Shetty, Rishab Shetty, and Raj. B. Shetty — also managed to entertain the masses with 777 Charlie, Kantara, and Ondu Motteya Kathe, respectively.
The three films showed the power of universal aspects in cinema. The presence of an adorable dog, which performed brilliantly, helped 777 Charlie, while Kantara’s divine element in its plot impressed the audience. Ondu Motteya Kathe’s clean humour won immense appreciation. The frenzy witnessed for these movies is reminiscent of Apthamithra’s long run in theatres. The film’s horror element lured youngsters, children, and elders for repeated viewings on the big screen.
Kaatera’s success has proved that a family drama, once in a while, is good for the fans and people of the industry. Those doubting the notion must revisit history. Of course, the primary task of filmmakers is to serve old wine in a new bottle.
Published - February 02, 2024 11:22 am IST
