When Anant Nag gave the title of Shyam Benegal’s debut movie

Shyam Benegal
| Photograph Credit score: BHAGYA PRAKASH

Shyam Benegal, one of many outstanding filmmakers of India’s Parallel Cinema motion, collaborated with Girish Karnad and Anant Nag, two legendary figures from the sphere of theatre and cinema from Karnataka. A day after Benegal’s demise at 90, Anant Nag recollected his affiliation with the writer-director. By the way, Benegal’s household hails from Udupi district in Karnataka.

“Throughout my theatre stint in Mumbai, Amol Palekar launched me to Satyadev Dubey, a theatre big, who, in flip, took me to Benegal,” Anant Nag advised The Hindu. Anant Nag and Karnad labored with Benegal within the extremely acclaimed Hindi movies Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), and Manthan (1976). Anant Nag additionally labored in Benegal’s different Hindi classics, reminiscent of Bhumika (1977), Kondura (1978), and Kalyug (1981).

“I had completed performing within the Kannada movie Sankalpa (directed by P.V. Nanjaraje Urs) when Dubey prompt Benegal my title for the lead function for his debut challenge. Benegal hadn’t seen me carry out. He simply noticed my entrance and aspect profiles and finalised me because the protagonist,” Anant Nag stated with a chuckle.

Speaking concerning the movie’s title, the veteran actor stated, “Benegal had named the movie Seedling. Nonetheless, he later determined to maintain a Hindi title. He requested individuals round, however not many knew the Hindi equal of seedling. Since I grew up in mathas and ashrams, I used to be well-versed in Sanskrit. I knew Ankur was the right translation for seedling, however I used to be too shy to inform Benegal. Sooner or later, he introduced ₹1000 for the title, and that’s once I prompt the title. In the end, he was proud of the title, and I gained the money prize.”

Working with Benegal gave him the precise coaching to develop as an actor, stated Anant Nag. “His heroes have been by no means standard. Their characters had combined shades, and it was difficult to do justice to them,” he stated. “Benegal liked to make rational movies on pertinent themes. Maybe, Kondura was the one movie of Benegal with non secular and philosophical layers,” he famous.

Even after he moved to Bengaluru, Anant Nag stated he maintained a cordial relationship with the auteur. “Benegal lived in Koramangala in Bengaluru briefly earlier than shifting again to Mumbai. Throughout considered one of his visits to Bengaluru, I organized a gathering with reporters. He referred to as me a proficient actor in entrance of the media however stated he was shocked that I had joined politics,” stated Anant Nag. “I quipped jokingly that it was a much bigger shock that any person who made sharp political dramas noticed my transfer as uncommon.”