August 26, 2012 Y. Sunitha Chowdhary
The gorgeous looking Kanchana, the yesteryear actor is spending all her time in spirituality these days. She hardly watches films of this generation and says everything about this world has become fast track be it food or films.
In a relaxed mood in Chennai, the actor gets nostalgic, "People were selected on the basis of form, figure and acting capability and the films would run for more than a year. We had a career spanning a decade or two. But now everything is so fast, no one has time to sit and watch a long shot.
In Batasari, ANR was shown walking for a long time in a particular scene, I guess it won't work now. The quality too has changed, be it a silk saree, gold or a movie. Our films were balanced. People have no time to sit and gaze at the moon. Certain technicians made the actors, moon, hills, trees look lovely."
Kanchana's original name was Vasundhara Devi. Director Sridhar rechristened her Kanchana as Vyjayanthimala's mother shared the same name but the industry folks would address her Devi. Tall, sharp features and an attractive persona, people knew her more as an air hostess before working in films.
"I got a lot of compliments, maybe I was destined to receive them. But there were far more beautiful actors Vyjayanthimala, Madhubala, Meena Pradhan. Even those who were dark looked lovely on screen.
I couldn't complete my education though I reached graduation. I was working for an airline and then became an actor and now into complete spirituality. We have seen decades of glossy life but I am happy that the power of god helped me to see what is truth and what is not."
The actor says she doesn't quite understand how some people in the media come up with unimportant things. "In this country we have a tradition of wearing sarees. Someone had a problem and wrote that I was spotted selecting vegetables in an old saree. Do they expect you to doll up and go to the vegetable market?
I feel it is indeed a miracle surviving at this age when people become mentally retarded or physically incapacitated. There is a song in Bhakta Thukaram which reminds me that nothing in this world is permanent."
Does she keep in touch with her co-stars? "Not much. I was there for an award function and then I spoke to ANR when his wife passed away. We were neighbours. I was young and go cycling and I wasn't in films and ANR was already doing Devadas."
