Guruprasad: A flawed genius

The Kannada director who died by suicide last week was an eccentric man who scripted his own success and failure, writes Jagadish Angadi

Who was Guruprasad? For those who knew him, he was a craftsman in script and dialogue writing, a genius in direction, a unique narrator, an experimenter of plot structure, a bibliophile and an eccentric person. He was the architect of his success but also his failure.

Son of a priest from Kanakapura, Guruprasad forayed into Kannada cinema when filmmakers were obsessed with gangster and romantic dramas. He believed that movie-goers of the time were frustrated with such genres. Declaring himself as the ‘saviour of frustrated audiences’, he turned towards satire, mockery, double entendre and laughter to deliver social commentary. The result was ‘Mata’ (2006). It was an instant hit. 

‘Eddelu Manjunatha’ came next. The 2009 film shook sensibilities with its layered narration of a lazy man who does not want to struggle to make a living. The black comedy earned him a Filmfare Award for direction. 

Both the films featured actor Jaggesh. They managed to bring his real talent to the fore and boosted his popularity. 

As for Guruprasad, his eye for realism resonated with his ‘frustrated audiences’ who were seeking alternative cinematic content. Now, he had established himself as a bold new voice in Sandalwood. His reflective and thought-provoking dialogues in ‘Hudugaru’ (2011) and ‘Yaare Koogadali’ (2012) also drew praise. His participation in TV reality shows furthered his fame.

Back-to-back flops

“Success changed him. He began mocking fellow filmmakers. Ego, arrogance and self-glorification conquered him. He believed he alone could revitalise Sandalwood when (the filming of) ‘Director’s Special’ (2013) took off. He installed a large cutout of himself during the film’s launch event. While his ‘writing’ was visible in ‘Mata’ and ‘Eddelu Manjunatha’, it was Guruprasad who was visible in ‘Director’s Special’,” a filmmaker, who worked with him, says on the condition of anonymity.

‘Director’s Special’ failed miserably. It plunged him into depression.

“Instead of soul searching, Gurugalu, as we called him, blamed the audiences for his failures. Around the same time, he separated from his wife and became addicted to alcohol,” a producer of one of his films says.

Many alleged that he used to come inebriated on the sets of ‘Ranganayaka’ (2024) and was never on time. During that phase, he threatened to end his life if the film flopped. At the same time, he said he would direct a film that would bring an Oscar award for the Kannada film industry. 

‘Ranganayaka’ also flopped. Critics dubbed it as a model for bad filmmaking.

Guruprasad stayed away from family for weeks while working on films. He targeted the NDA government for Covid-19 pandemic in a series of online videos. He surrounded himself by youth who glorified him. His debts rose to about two crore rupees. He changed his mobile phone numbers and houses frequently to dodge moneylenders. 

“He still mattered. Big stars and producers were ready to work with him. All he needed was to initiate meetings, which he never did,” a music director says.

In his 20-year career, Guruprasad directed five films and acted in eight. Critics say his book ‘Cinema Madalagada Kathegalu Mattitara Lekhanagalu’ offers rare insights into the world of filmmaking. 

“He might have had hypomania,” says a senior psychiatrist, who had treated him in the past. According to an online medical journal, hypomania is a less severe form of mania where the patient exhibits high levels of energy and activity. 

He feels medical intervention could have saved Guruprasad. He explains, “Financial crisis, underlying psychological issues, and isolation play a role in driving people to have suicidal thoughts. If the situation worsens and such persons indulge in alcohol abuse, it may even end in suicide.”

Director Sai Prakash attempted to end life due to the financial crisis in 2010. Producer Soundarya Jagadish died by suicide in April this year, followed by director-producer Vinod Dondale in July.

“Filmmakers should consider business prospects and take calculated risks. They should be mentally strong considering the uncertainties (involved in this field). Spending four years on a simple film with fewer characters and shooting locations is unacceptable,” opines filmmaker Rajendra Singh Babu.  

The turbulence in Guruprasad’s life aside, ‘frustrated audiences’ would reckon that he left an indelible mark on Kannada cinema.