Far mightier than the sword 

Agni Sridhar, a reputation that dominated the underworld in Bengaluru within the late 80s, is at present a soft-spoken one that is at his “happiest finest” when his nostril is “buried deep in books”. Regardless of being referred to as the darkish lord, deep down he had sturdy literary leanings and craved to wield a pen quite than a machete.

One thought that at all times tugged at his coronary heart was, “I used to be not the beast I used to be made out to be. I began writing about what drove me into the underworld,” says Agni, who provides that it doesn’t matter what he does, his identify will at all times be related as a person from the underworld, who relives his reminiscences by penning them down.

Innate need

“It was not these experiences that impressed me to turn out to be a author, however my innate need to write down, which I nurtured since I used to be a toddler. I began studying on the age of eight. By the point I used to be 20, I used to be related to the highest literary personalities of Karnataka. I used to be within the elite firm of Lankesh and UR Anantmurthy… I used to be near celebrities reminiscent of Rajkumar and even acted in a movie with him in 1984. However, in my 30s, circumstances compelled me into the underworld. Sooner or later, I misplaced reference to everybody right here. But, the will to write down at all times burned inside me.”

First steps

Write Agni did, and his first revealed work was Daadaagiriya Dinagalu. Primarily based on his life, the e book blazed with sincere feelings, weaknesses and the agony of his life within the underworld. It was made right into a Kannada movie — Aa Dinagalu (2007).

Directed by KM Chaitanya, the movie starred Chethan Kumar, Sharath Lohitashwa, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Atul Kulkarni and Veda Sastry amongst others. It went on to turn out to be a cult movie and bagged each award throughout its time (2007-08), together with the Karnataka State Movie Award.

Glamour quotient

Agni believes: “At the moment, there have been writers who wrote in regards to the underworld in a glamorous method leaning on their creativeness. All the things was xaggerated.” 

Individuals, Agni says checked out him as if he had been a beastly character. “That was once I determined that this notion of me and this world will be modified solely by way of my writings. I wished to point out that even within the underworld there are feelings, relationships, conditions and incidents that may make anybody turn out to be something.”

Agni wished to inform folks he was completely different from what they imagined him to be. “And I began to write down,” shares Agni, who has by no means appeared again since.

Agni was, as soon as once more, a pressure to reckon with, this time on this planet of letters. In addition to books, he wrote tales and screenplays for movies reminiscent of Kallara Sante, Thamassu, Edegarike, Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu and Head Bush.

He even began a weekly Kannada newspaper — Agni.

“All these had been my efforts to write down in regards to the outlaws and produce their points to the forefront.”

What made Agni a preferred author had been his screenplays for cinema, for which he credit director Sumana Kittur. “She impressed me to proceed writing, it doesn’t matter what. She is tough working and deep in her pondering.

Garnering reward

“Not many individuals know that her work is praised by a number of the legendary movie administrators in Hindi cinema, together with Ram Gopal Varma, who got here specifically to Bengaluru to fulfill her and me after watching Edegarike.”

He co-wrote the movie with Sumana who directed it. Edegarike was chosen for a screening on the lately concluded Indo-French Worldwide Movie Pageant.

Based on Agni, writing for a movie is a distinct ball sport when in comparison with writing a e book. “Within the latter, you’re free to write down. Nothing can bind you. It’s simply me and the phrases. I’m not fearful about who will learn or like what I write. It’s a free-flowing expression of feelings and thought. That’s not so in scripting a movie. It is a completely different style.

A nonetheless from the movie Edegarike
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

“Cash is concerned and now we have to write down inside sure constraints. One has to remember sure components, if a scene will swimsuit an actor and his on-screen persona, if the dialogues work, which make you’re feeling confined. It’s a greater problem.”

Agni additionally donned the hat of a director with the movie Tamassu, which featured Shivarajkumar and was adjudged because the second finest movie on the Karnataka State Movie Awards, but he didn’t pursue course.

“Route is a herculean job and drains me of my energies, particularly the submit manufacturing half. Therefore, I want writing. From Aa Dinagalu to Headbush, I at all times make it some extent to go to the movie units.”

He now appears ahead to the discharge of the movie Kreem, which once more is predicated on crime. He has written the story and screenplay. “This movie will break the myths in regards to the Dandupalya gang. We hope to launch this in a number of languages too. Not many know that 80 our bodies of ladies had been discovered years in the past. These instances had been ‘mounted’ on the Dandupalya gang, who had been additionally given capital punishment. They had been thieves, and even once they had been in police custody, contemporary our bodies had been discovered.

“This occurred whereas I used to be embroiled within the Kotwal case. That was once I held a press convention stating this gang was not answerable for such heinous crimes. Comparable deaths occurred in Dharmasthala too, Agni says. “Round 56 mutilated our bodies of ladies had been discovered. The murders weren’t sexually motivated. Kreem
addresses all these mysteries.”

The world of phrases

Literature, Agni says wants preparation. “One needs to be literate, have a ardour to learn or write. Not for cinema. It’s a visible medium. One doesn’t want to organize to look at a movie. It’s a medium that appeals to the courses and the lots. Our life, the best way we costume, discuss and dwell are all influenced by the actors we watch on display screen. Not everybody is aware of Shakespeare, Dostoevsky or Tolstoy, however everybody is aware of Charlie Chaplin, Rajkumar , Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan! Whereas now we have movies that enchantment to the lots, there are additionally movies that enrich your thoughts and coronary heart. I’ve watched the Arabic movie, Bab’Aziz 30 occasions as each scene and dialogue touched my coronary heart. I imagine cinema is a robust medium with a attain past one’s creativeness.”