Honnasandra Narasimhaiah Chandrashekar, also known as Mukhyamantri Chandru, is an Indian actor and politician. As an actor, he is known for his work in Kannada theatre and cinema. The nickname Mukhyamantri (Chief Minister) stuck to his name after the play of the same name, in which he plays the title role, became very popular. Chandru, who has played mainly comic and negative roles throughout his career is a character actor who has acted in over 500 films since his debut in 1983.
In 1978, Chandru, who was then a member of the Kalagangotri troupe, was selected for the role of Krishna Dwaipayana Kaushal, the Chief Minister of a fictional Indian state of Uttaranchal after Lohithaswa, the actor who was to play the role, fell ill, he was given the role. The play, titled Mukhyamantri, Chief Minister in Kannada, is an adaptation of Ranjit Kapoor’s 1976 book of the same name. In the play, the role of the Chief Minister is abbreviated to KD Kaushal or KeDi, a word used for a delinquent.
Chandru incorporated his dialogues into the plot, eventually turning the serious drama into a comedy. The play became widely popular and the nickname “Mukhyamantri” stuck with him. In January 2020, the play saw its 700th performance across India and abroad.
Chandru’s film career began in 1983 when he was cast by producer N. Veeraswamy for a supporting role in Chakravyuha. Another notable role was in the comedy Ganeshana Maduve (1990), in which he played an arrogant landlord alongside Anant Nag.
Narrating how he started his career as an actor, the 70-year-old said he belonged to a backward community and his parents were not rich. He was working as a clerk at Bengaluru University in 1975, earning a meagre salary of Rs 415 per month. While having coffee at a canteen, he met theatre director Prasanna, founder of Samudaya. “He invited me to play the role of a police officer who is a villain in the play Tayee (an adaptation of the English play Mother). That was my debut”.
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