Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Prime Minister's speech on the release of book on matinee idol Dr. Akkineni Nageshwar Rao

I am truly pleased to be with all of you this evening to honour Dr. Akkineni, the doyen of Tulugu cinema and a legendary name in Indian Cinema. We have the legend himself in our midst, and that makes the occasion more memorable.

In ancient times we had samraats who ruled large kingdoms and whose names are often recorded with pride in history. But samraats now belong solely to the past. In the age of democracy, there is no place for emperors and empires.

However, there is one set of samraats whose rule continues even in our own times. These are the nat samraats. They rule over the hearts and minds of million of their admirers. Their empire often crosses geographical and cultural boundaries.

Dr. Akkineni Nageshwar Rao is one such nat samraat. He may have stopped acting in films, but he remains an evergreen hero for all those Telugu people who have seen him playing a wide range of characters in hundreds of films.

Friends, I have quickly glanced through the book Living Legend, which I had the pleasure of releasing a while ago. I was astonished by the sheer variety of roles that this popular film hero has played during his long and distinguished career.

From pauranik films to patriotic films, from romantic films to those based on rural life, from social films like Devdas to those depicting the lives of great cultural celebrities like Kalidas and Sant Tukaram – this popular actor has played of all these roles, and more.

I wonder whether actors in modern times get to play such a wide range of social, psychological and historical characters. I am not trying to criticize the film industry of today. And if there is criticism, I would like it to be taken in the right spirit. But I cannot help wondering – and often feeling sad – why so many of the films these days look so monotonous?

When life is so rich and complex, when there are so many colours and shades of emotion and experiences in life, why do our films generally try to stick to a stereotype ?

It is not that the compulsion to stick to a stereotype comes from the audience. No. For example, take the success of the film Devdas. It has been made and re-made in many Indian languages. Even the latest creation has been widely appreciated. And I can tell you that I too have watched it and liked it much. It is our deserving entry for the Oscars next year and I do hope that it wins it.

Incidentally, I am told that, one of the best roles of Devdas has been played by Dr. Akkineni.

But let us ask ourselves: What is the secret of the success of Devdas? I sould say that it is the power of the story by the great writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, who is one of my favorites writers.

In India we have many great literary works – ancient, medieval and modern. I would urge our filmmakers to be bold and creative and choose powerful themes from the great works of Indian literature. Make films that will captivate generations of Indian film lovers with their emotional and moral force.

One more thought. Indian film industry is not just Bollywood. Cinema is non-Hindi languages in our country has a rich and proud tradition. Along with Hindi cinema, it has played a great role in promoting national integration and in celebrating different aspects of our diverse social and cultural life.

I think that there should be greater awareness of non-Hindi Indian cinema, both within and without our country.

I was reading the preface by Dr. C. Narayan Reddy, the great Telugu writer, Gyanpith award winner and member of the Rajya Sabha. I was struck by his description that Dr. Akkineni as ~a synonym for refined acting~.

The difference between gross and subtle acting is the refined art of Bhava. Our ancient Natya Shastra has made a deep study of this aspect and explained what is the right emotion and expression for different circumstances and different characters. I am sure that actors of the new generation can learn a lot in this department from Dr. Akkineni.

Friends, I would like to express myself on one more aspect of today’s films. But rather thanput it in my words, I would like to borrow Dr. Akkineni’s words to convey my thought and my concerns.

In this book, there is a very informative interview in which the actor has been asked many questions about his life and art. In one of them, his comments have been sought on the depiction of romance on screen today.

Here is Dr. Akkineni’s reply and I quote:

~There is no romance, only sex exhibition. You need some 50 dancers in the background to enhance the mood. Earlier there used to be ‘bhava’ in every moment – bhava, which came from ‘janapada’……. Now everything is done mechanically. The trouble with me is I cannot criticize the film industry. I am a child of the film industry. I cannot criticize my family members. I feel sorry inside. Film-making is a coordinated effort and change should come from within as it affects everybody.~

Very wise words. From a wise and versatile actor. My kudos to him. And thanks to all of you.