Guruprasad: A flawed genius who failed to reach his potential

Guruprasad, a bold and controversial filmmaker, left a mark on Kannada cinema with his unconventional storytelling and dark humor.

Guruprasad dreamt of bringing an Oscar to the Kannada film industry. It’s a tall claim, but such statements weren’t a surprise for those who knew him. When he arrived in the Kannada film industry, his outspokenness impressed people. However, as years passed by, the director, still blunt with his opinions, had lost the trust of his audience.

With Mata in 2006, Guruprasad tasted overnight success. The film, starring Jaggesh, was a sharp satire that questioned the sanctity of mathas. “I was a hathasha prekshaka (A frustrated audience),” he often said while explaining his plunge into filmmaking. A poultry scientist, he became a director because of his love of movies. A huge shelf packed with books was a common sight for people who visited his house. He was an avid reader combined with a great interest in films, often telling people about watching one movie a day.

Mata and Eddelu Manjunatha (2009) gave much-needed freshness to an industry struggling with content crisis. “As an emerging filmmaker, he was one of the saviours of the industry during that time,” says film writer and author S. Shyam Prasad.

The two films stood out for their no-hold-barred realism and had unconventional protagonists. The writer in Guruprasad was bold enough to question the unquestionable in society. His dark comedy and quirky adult humour were an instant hit with people even as they gave a reality check to those writer-directors stuck with tried-and-tasted templates.

Today, his demise at 52 years with just five films under his name seems like a huge opportunity lost.

His subsequent movies suffered from the director’s indulgence as Guruprasad’s obsession with one-liners made him overlook the need for a meaty story.

Actor Dhananjaya, who spoke to reporters after Guruprasad’s demise, thanked him for launching him in Director’s Special in 2013. Back then, Dhananjaya and Guruprasad were at loggerheads during the release of Eradane Sala, their second film together. The director had a reputation for not having a cordial relationship with his colleagues.