BRAHMANANDAM
                    Tragedy helps hone comic skills best\

He’s the highest paid comedian in Telugu films, the man who’s had audiences rolling off their chairs in laughter for well over a decade. SCREEN chats up the comic sensation:

How was it playing the grandma in Opanaipothundi Babu?

It gave me great pleasure, believe me. We took a lot of care to present the character as realistically as possible. Fortunately the audience accepted it in a big way. At the beginning of my career I used to imitate the typical grandmas of Guntur District to keep people on the sets in splits, merely for ‘time pass’. And Siva Nageswara Rao promised me he would one day use this character in one of his films. That was when he was assisting Ram Gopal Varma. With Money, Siva gave me a new image, that of comic-villain and followed it up with Khan Dada in Pattukondi Chudam. But it wasn’t until Opanaipothundi Babu that he actually kept his word.

Director Siva Nageswara Rao claims your performances as baddie are on par with any by, say, Amrish Puri. Are you disappointed when, despite your best efforts, the audience merely laughs at your screen presence, rather than taking you seriously?

No, never, because our intention is to evoke laughter, not to scare the audience out of its wits. Even at the scariest-worst in my on-screen villainy, there’s always the goofy, loony comedy track that reduces my antics to a silly farce. Since I was a recognised comedian, I had my doubts whether the audience would accept me in negative roles. But my pal, Siva Nageswara Rao was confident the ploy would work. I got a lot of critical acclaim for my serious performances in Babi Hotel and the climax sequence in Ayyanaki Iddaru. The audience enjoyed my serious performances, just as much as the comic routine. I even got the state’s best supporting actor award for my performance in Anna.

How would you define comedy?

Good comedy invariably has a lasting value to it, you tend to remember it long after you’ve walked out of the theatre. Laughter should be evoked naturally, without resorting to slapstick. It is true that the standard of comedy has deteriorated in recent times, much as there’s been a deterioration in politics and society. But I was fortunate to get some good comedy roles and I am thankful to all my directors for giving me meaty roles which will be remembered by the audience for long.

I should also thank the stars I’ve worked with, for though I had parallel roles in most of them, they didn’t ever resort to cutting my roles. I share a great rapport with all of them, much to the envy of some of the other artistes. I’ve always believed that if you’re fair and professional, you can cultivate great friendships at any workplace, even in the film industry.

Tell us about your background?

I had a regular slot on Doordarshan, as a bit of a comic. It was my mimicry routine on DD that helped me catch the eye of director Jandhyala. He asked me to come over and make him laugh. I did, for nine hours at a stretch, believe me. He was obviously pleased as punch, for I soon became a regular of sorts in his films. I can never thank him enough for everything he’s done for me. Some of our popular films together were Chitram Ballare Vichitram, Aaha Naa Pellanta, Chupulu Kalisa Subavela and Vivahabhojanambu.

Initially, I couldn’t afford the luxury of being too choosy, because I was out to make a fast buck. I come from a poor family, you know, and being the eldest, I had loads of responsibilities. I soon got a job as a Telugu lecturer, and it helped keep the wolf from the door. One thing I learnt pretty early is, society respects the rich, even if they’re fools and talent doesn’t count in this dog-eat-dog world. My intention was to make as much money as possible. Now, however, I can afford to be choosy. Like me, most comedians have come up the hard way. Which is why most of us sound so philosophical in conversation. I guess we’ve seen both kinds of life. Tragedy’s the best education any comedian can get.

How have you managed to retain your numero uno status among comedians for such a long time?

The numbers game doesn’t interest me in the least. What does is the variety in the roles. People still love me because I always give them something new. I had people falling off their chairs without so much as opening my mouth in Vinodam. And though I had a mere nine scenes in it, people still talk about my role. Again in the recent Bavagaru Bagunara, I played a dead man, and still scored a hit with the audience. Variety’s the comedian’s best aid. It also helps to be a keen observer of people.

How did you pull off the ‘parallel’ roles with the stars?

It’s God’s grace alone. The stars never cribbed when I walked away with egual footage. I guess the fact that I get along well with all of them had something to do with it.

How does it feel to back with your mentor Jandhyala?

I’m thrilled, truly excited. I shall always be at his beck and call. He’s the man who made a star of me. And gave me those great characters to play with their unique mannerisms and dialects, He’s what you could call a godfather for me.