“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself as the villain”. Remember this line from Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’? Well, this line seems pretty apt for Dasari Narayana Rao.
This veteran director was a force to reckon with in the industry at one point of time. His still wields some power among writer’s unions and labour unions, but it is waning. When a man who is used to a position of power sees that ebbing away with time, identity crisis sets in. We have seen that time and again with many legends. In their old age, they become caricatures of their former selves.
The same thing is happening in Dasari Narayana Rao’s case. He is making statements and issuing press notes in the capacity of an ‘industry elder’, even though no one has asked him to.
Yesterday, he sent out a series of press notes in quick succession about the National Awards being given to Baahubali and Kanche. He then proceeded to send one more, congratulating Nagarjuna for ‘Oopiri’ and certifying him for his acting abilities. Expectedly, no one took these press notes seriously.
Dasari is also meddling in disputes between writers and directors by passing ‘judgements’. Let us hope Dasari exits from the stage gracefully and in a dignified manner, like his contemporary K.Vishwanadh.
