Ganesh Bal: The outsider on the inside

Driving through traffic, it seems more than just coincidence that all the songs being played by FM stations are those that feature the star you are about to meet. But when you do meet Ganesh Bal during a dubbing session, the 35-year-old dismisses his popularity with a laugh. He says, “FM stations may be going by popularity of the songs. If you have to give credit, give it to the music directors and singers.”

He is called the Golden Star ever since his hits like Mungaru Male and Gaalipata monopolised the box office, and it’s only his pahadi eyes and complexion that give away his Nepali roots. He speaks to his thronging fans in effortless Kannada as he signs photos and autographs. Though he seems to enjoy the attention he gets, there have been times when his following has proven to be a headache, especially when he was set to tie the knot in February 2008.

“It was a harrowing time for my family and me. There were so many threatening calls and text messages from female fans threatening suicide in front of our ancestral home that we had to advance the wedding by seven days,” says Ganesh, a man for whom the notion of family seems to carry great significance.
While he says he’s inherited his looks from his father Kishen Bal who migrated to Bangalore in the late 1960s “to work in the security industry,” his love for all things Kannada comes wholly from his mother Sulochana, who hails from Bellary. “I was born and brought up in Adakamaranahalli, Nelamangala, a town off Bangalore and this has ensured that I am a pukka Kannadiga.”

With a bunch of sacred threads tied around his wrist, Ganesh credits his success and level-headedness to God and his parents. “I’ve had a very modest middle-class upbringing. That helps keep me rooted.”

SUM OF MANY PARTS
Ganesh’s Hindi may be a little accented, but he can quickly put together a mean act that showcases the different regional accents of Karnataka, a skill that served him well during his stint on Comedy Time. He guffaws at the memory of last-minute improvisations. “It really connected with young viewers, particularly children.”

Guttu was Ganesh’s first on-camera project. Though it was made as a telefilm in Karnataka, it ran into difficulties getting a timeslot, and the frustrated producers played it as a feature in festivals and select US theatres, incurring heavy losses. Despite the film’s fate, however, Ganesh’s flair for comedy and his knack for timing forced director Priyabharati Joshi to recommend him to other TV series directors.

“Though Vinu of Yadva-Tadva was a small role he played, he acted with the same intensity and maturity that we get to see in his later hits. It really helped showcase his talent when he mimicked Dr Rajkumar, Balanna and other veterans,” says Joshi who adds, “The camera simply loves the child-like innocence he exudes.”

CURSE OF THE BLOCKBUSTER
After his mainstream debut as a villain in Tapori, Ganesh soon shifted to comedy and stayed within the genre for a string of films that followed. “But it was the 2006 blockbuster Mungaru Male (Unseasonal Rain) that decidedly went on to change his fortunes. “Grossing Rs75 crore at the box office, the film created many records. At one point, there were 84 shows of the film a day in Bangalore and 504 shows a day all over Karnataka. It also became the only film to run to packed houses on weekdays in Bangalore’s PVR for over a year,” film critic Prahlad Rao tells DNA.
Ganesh’s next Hudugaata (2007) also got a good opening. Subsequently, Cheluvina Chithara (2007) and Gaalipata (2008) were comparatively moderate successes. Despite some of his recent duds like Munjane this year, Rao is confident that the right choice of projects can make Ganesh rule the box office again. “Unfortunately, all his work will be measured against the success of Mungaru Male. Look at how many radio listeners keep requesting its songs.”

Ganesh, surprisingly, is in humble agreement with Rao. He says, “Though the film has brought me recognition beyond my wildest dreams, I feel success is a double edged sword. It’s a blessing and a curse. The success of any film beyond the norm results in great expectations from the film industry and the public. People compare this hit with every new project I do. This makes my job, especially choosing scripts, very difficult, since I always have to deal with the fear of not meeting expectations.”

At a time many actors are thinking of making a mark in Mumbai, Ganesh seems content with his circumstance. He says with a smile, “I don’t like to look that far ahead. If it has to happen it will. But given my Hindi and the longer queue of heroines it doesn’t look like it’s happening in a hurry.” He says he wants to concentrate on his fitness for now and shed some of his chubbiness. “Bollywood, you see, has more topless heroes than heroines these days.” What about those Nepalese roots? Has he ever considered Nepalese cinema? He chuckles, “On my God! I haven’t thought about it.” If he had, many would look forward to it. He does, after all, remain the Golden Star.