Dinesh Baboo's astrology chart say he can't be successful in his birthplace
One of the most versatile film makers in the country with a magical cinematographic ability, he is more popular as director in Kannada films since his super hit directorial debut in Suprabhatha in the late 80s starring late Dr Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini. Now the maverick is back with another thriller inspired by true incidents — Dinesh Baboo, cinematographer and director, and the maker of classics such as Inspector Vikram, Amrutavarshini, and many more speaks to Bengaluru Chronicle about his latest venture Priyanka starring Priyanka Upendra, Tejus and Prakash Raj in the lead, his superstitious beliefs, his love for carpentry, gardening and much more.
“The criminal case which inspired Priyanka is actually still pending before the court with the prime accused been granted bail. The police have said that there was not enough evidence to nail the two accused in the case, including the woman who has allegedly hatched the plan to kill her husband. They said they have no solid case against the two. What excited me in the entire case was the fact that — if a woman is innocent, how does she fight to prove her innocence. Everyone including the media has accused her of a grave offence, which is quite scandalous. When the incident occurred, there were news reports relating it to my earlier film Amrutavarshini, which was another reason the film excited me,” reveals Dinesh Baboo.
The film also talks through social media, effectively connecting it with different perspectives, to which the director says that in the actual crime, though the two accused are believed to have been in constant touch through the phone and other medium, the inclusion of social networking site such as Facebook was because they were both software engineers. “We personally only see words, we do not see the person behind it, and that is not the right way to judge a personality,” he says while adding that as per the actual crime, as alleged by the police, there are basic similarities to his earlier venture Amrutavarshini which revolves around three characters, and an affair.
The ace cinematographer, Dinesh Baboo, is frank about his religious and superstitious beliefs. “I could never be a successful director in other film industries. I come from Kerala, but I could never deliver the same in Malayalam. I am a bit religious and believe in certain superstitions. It is very clear in my astrology chart that I can never be successful in my birthplace, and I have to travel far away to see success. Surprisingly, it has been happening the same way, but there is no way in proving it otherwise,” he adds, while adding that such beliefs do not influence in his writing. In fact, it was a risky proposition — writing for Priyanka — as it starts with an investigation and the audience is well aware of the murder which has been committed. “There is always the risk of being repetitive in connecting to past incidents, however there are a lot of unanswered questions which keep the audience guessing, right till the climax.
When not filming, Baboo transforms into a professional carpenter, and a gardener. “I love reading, and if not shooting for more than 15 days, I switch to my hobby. I love carpentry, which I learnt by watching. I have all the tools for it too. I recently finished a cot. Once, the customs were taken aback when they found me with such heavy tools, and were equally amazed that as a filmmaker, I was travelling with such heavy tools. Eventually they let me to go,” recollects Baboo before signing off. Priyanka is set to release in the coming week.
