Karnataka roots: Baahubali 2 director Rajamouli was born in Raichur

BENGALURU: Many were taken by surprise when filmmaker S S Rajamouli addressed Karnataka residents in chaste Kannada before the release of his magnum opus Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. A few, however, knew of the director’s Karnataka connection — he was born here.
Rajamouli’s father K V Vijayendra Prasad, an acclaimed screenwriter himself, told TOI his family was proud to be identified as Kannadiga.The Karnataka government last year recommended Padma Shri for Rajamouli, since he was born in Raichur.
“I was born in Raichur dist, Karnataka, studied in West Godavari, worked in Chennai and settled in hyd. U decide my place…):)” reads one of Rajamouli’s tweets.
An ambition of becoming a prosperous farmer brought the young Vijayendra Prasad to Raichur in 1968 from Kovvuru in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. He along with his elder brother K V Shivashankar bought seven acres of paddy fields in Hirekotikal village of Manvi taluk, Raichur district. Rajamouli was born in 1973 in Hirekotikal. His sister Kanchi too was born there.
“It feels proud to be associated with the state’s culture. My son got Padma Shri as a Kannadiga. It is a great feeling,” said Prasad, who made a point to speak in Kannada during the conversation with TOI on Tuesday.
The family went back to Kovvuru in 1977, where Rajamouli did schooling and dropped out of pre-university college before making a foray into the Telugu film industry. This, however, did not sever the family’s Karnataka link. Prasad went on to script two Kannada movies — Vishnuvardhan-starrer Appaji and Kurubana Rani with Shivarajkumar in the lead role. Recently, he wrote the story and screenplay for Jaguar, in which former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Gowda was the hero. His nephew M M Keeravani has composed music for many Kannada films.
Prasad directorial venture, Kannada movie Srivalli, is due for release next month. “Who knows, one day Rajamouli may come back and direct a Kannada film,” he said.
Rajamouli spoke in Kannada to placate Kannadigas, who were hurt by an alleged statement made by Tamil actor Satyaraj who plays Kattappa in Baahubali and Baahubali 2. Though the statement was made some nine years ago during an agitation in Tamil Nadu over the sharing of Cauvery water, the controversy cropped up just before the release of Baahubali 2. But Rajamouli’s fluent Kannada made him win the hearts of Kannadigas.
“The people of Karnataka are large-hearted and accommodative. They accept other languages and cultures. We were confident that things would be alright, given the generosity of Kannadigas,” said Prasad, who wrote the script for both Baahubali 1 and 2.
True to his belief, Karnataka has proved to be the second biggest market for the film after Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined. Baahubali 2 grossed over Rs 540 crore in the first five days after it released last Friday; Karnataka accounted for nearly 20% of it. Such is the popularity of the film that even chief minister Siddaramaiah watched it along with his family on Monday.