Dwarakish: The producer who dared

He played comedy roles and directed films. But it was as a producer that he left an indelible mark. He made 47 films, and did not hesitate to stake everything even when 19 films flopped in a row, writes S R Ramakrishna.

Dwarakish, who died at 81 on April 16, 2024, was one of Kannada cinema’s most adventurous producers. He is credited with betting on new talent, but he always had a pragmatic eye on the box-office, and liked to work with big stars, whose films he mounted lavishly.

The first film he made as an independent producer, ‘Mayor Muthanna’, featured the top stars of the time, Rajkumar and Jayanthi. Its success placed him in the big league. He went on to produce 47 films in a career spanning six decades.

A diploma in automobile engineering, Dwarakish owed his debut role to his filmmaker-uncle Hunasur Krishnamurthy. Once he discovered production and tasted success, there was no stopping him. By 27, Dwarakish said in an interview, he had become the No 1 comedian and producer, and was on top of his game. He was living it up like few else could.

Chennai was the hub of the south Indian film industry when Dwarakish, running an auto spares shop in Mysuru, plunged into acting and production. ‘Kulla Agent’, a comedy in which he played the lead, was remade in several languages, and in Mumbai, where its Hindi version had a successful run, he was honoured with a huge cutout.

Dwarakish produced a string of hits with Vishnuvardhan. He acted in several of them, notably ‘Kalla Kulla’ and ‘Kittu Puttu’. He produced three films starring Rajanikanth, two in Tamil and one in Hindi. In ‘Gangwaa’, he cast Shabana Azmi opposite Rajani. One grouse against Dwarakish was that he was always on the lookout for films to remake, and in the process, didn’t produce enough original cinema.

Although Dwarakish was thriving when Kannada cinema was making what was then called ‘offbeat’ cinema, he placed himself firmly in the mass entertainment space.

In his capacity as comedian and director, Dwarakish has a long filmography, but it is as a never-say-die producer that he leaves behind an inspiring legacy. At the peak of his career, he owned a fleet of cars and a host of bungalows. He sold them all when his films began to flop, but the failures would not deter him. After 19 flops in a row, he found success with ‘Apthamitra’ (2004), starring Vishnuvardhan.

Music played a big part in Dwarakish films. He acknowledged the role of lyricist Chi Udayashankar and music composers Rajan-Nagendra in the success of his films.

Here is a list of some memorable songs from his films:

Halliyaadarenu Shiva

‘Mayor Muthanna’ (1962) is about a villager who comes to the big city of Bengaluru, takes up a cause, and becomes its mayor. This song shows Rajkumar ruminating, in the words of Chi Udayashankar, how people are greedy and exploitative. P B Srinivas sang playback for Rajkumar.

Mayor Muthanna

Balu aparoopa nam jodi

An enduring fun song, this features Dwarakish and Rajkumar in ‘Lagna Patrike’ (1967). For comic effect, the song draws on rock and roll and Karnatik music.

Aadu aata aadu

‘Kulla Agent 000’ (1972) was inspired by a Danish comedy. In a coup of sorts, Dwarakish went to Mumbai and convinced Kishore Kumar to sing a song in Kannada. “I paid him Rs 7,000 at a time when we could complete a full song in Rs 1,000,” he recalled in an interview.

Naa haadalu

In ‘Kalla Kulla’ (1975), which he produced, Dwarakish cast himself with Vishnuvardhan and Bhavani. The caper, about a thief and an accomplice, features breezy songs, and was a musical hit. ‘Sutta mutta yaaroo illa’ was another hit from this film.

Kalla Kulla

Ninna nanna manavu

The family drama ‘Bhagyavantharu’ (1977) featured some intense songs. Rajkumar had by then begun singing his own songs, and he was at his emotional best in this love song he sings to B Sarojadevi. Another memorable song: Ninna snehake naa sotu hodenu.

Belliya raja baaro

At a time when thrift ruled, Dwarakish produced and acted in a Kannada film shot abroad. ‘Singaporenalli Raja Kulla’ (1978), with Vishnuvardhan in the lead, became the first Kannada film to be shot on foreign locales. It tapped into the picturesque locales of Singapore, a tourist destination popular with the more affluent Indians in the ’70s. Another hit from this film is ‘Preeti prema nannusiru,’ featuring Yesudas and S P Balasubramanyam.

Singaporenalli Raja Kulla

Maatonda heluve

In ‘Kittu Puttu’ (1977), Dwarakish again co-starred with Vishnuvardhan. Dwarakish is a fisherman before he gets involved in a comedy of errors. ‘Kalavannu tadeyoru yaaroo illa’ was perhaps the most popular song in this film.

Malagiruveya Ranganatha

‘Ananda Bhairavi’ (1983) was a dance film with a profusion of raga-inspired songs. It came in the wake of films with musical hits such as ‘Sankarabharana’ (1980, Telugu), and ‘Sagara Sangamam’ (1980, Telugu). The films featured classical musicians and dancers. Dwarakish cast Girish Karnad as a dance guru in this bilingual, also released in Telugu.

Ra ra sarasaku

The horror drama ‘Apthamitra’ (2004) starred Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya and Ramesh Aravind, and was a blockbuster hit. For Dwarakish, the film, featuring this song, provided a huge reprieve after a string of flops.