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A man for all seasons
A POSH house in a residential locale. The shooting of the tele-serial, `Chila kudumba chitrangal,' directed by R.Gopinath, is progressing. Braving the sweltering heat, Jagadish is working a combination with Kochu Preman and Manju Pillai.
Jagadish had just returned to the city from the sets of the Mohanlal film, `Onnaman'. He looks calm and collected. The umpteen assignments he had signed up do not annoy him. There is no haste but only a firm resolve to complete the work in time. Adaptability is the hallmark of the artiste who could be seen dressed in psychedelic colours dancing with the glitterati at a stage show in Kochi, on the sets of a super-starrer in Chennai the next morning and again on to the sets of a television serial two days later.
Perhaps Jagadish is one of the luckiest artistes other than Nagesh in the South who rose to the status of a hero from comic roles. Almost all the 40 films he played the hero fared well at the box-office.
``Producers still come with offers to play the lead. I do not prefer such roles. Plum character roles are my dream. I'm perfectly at home with what I've in hand. At present, I'm working only in this serial. The next project will commence only after completing this work,'' he says.
Jagadish is a man for all seasons. Surviving all reigning trends for the past two decades, he is still going strong with the determination to conquer new heights. Image hang-ups do not haunt him. Audience still like to see him doing the role of a lad, as the friend of Kunchako Bobban and Dileep. Even if he dons a serious role as in `Kalachakram' they expect him to do some humour.
``I'm concerned only of my contribution to the projects with which I associate and strive to make them distinct. When people see the scenes again on the television they will enjoy,'' he says.
He always maintains the youthful spirit and buoyancy which make him fit for such live roles.
Moreover, he is acceptable to all artistes ranging from debutantes to the super-stars. ``While working as a lecturer, my colleagues were irked by my bohemian approach and intimacy with the students. They used to remind me that I should show more maturity. I never changed my ways and still do not hold it imperative,'' he says.
Jagadish is known for his innovative improvisation skills. The production crew in all departments seek his creative suggestions.
Unlike the artiste who quits the sets on completing his work, Jagadish would willingly lend a helping hand right from polishing the script to designing the production. It is not interference but a friendly involvement which is whole-heartedly accepted by his colleagues.
Jagadish had written the script for Shaji Kailas' maiden film, `News.' Despite being successful as a scenarist, Jagadish does not intend to take to writing. ``People are approaching me to write scripts. Some of my stories may be filmed later. Anyway, I'm not keen on doing scripts at present,'' he says.
Jagadish does not think that the industry is in dire straits. ``There is only a scarcity for good comedy writers. If we have good scripts, half the job is done. This crisis is felt the world over. There are not much English comedy classics. Time is ideal for budding writers to express their skills,'' he says.
Being well-versed in other aspects of cinema such as production and distribution, is he interested in directing a film?
``Direction is not my dream. A project demands at least six months for completion and would have a bearing on my acting career. This does not mean I would not direct a film at all. For the time being it is not my priority,'' he says.
He is flooded with offers to do television shows like `Sarigama' which he did for Asianet earlier. Without learning the rudimentaries of music, he hosted the show with effortless ease. He is planning a TV show with a difference but the date has not yet been finalised.
By N. J. Nair
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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