<p>Amazed by his performance in the violent Telugu love story ‘Bhairava Geetha’ (2018), Ram Gopal Verma asked Dhananjaya, “Where were you all these days?”</p>.<p>RGV, director of such hits as ‘Rangeela’ and ‘Satya,’ is highly regarded in the Hindi and Telugu industries for introducing new talent. </p>.<p>Dhananjaya, who hails from Hassan, was an obscure name in the Kannada film industry before one film, 'Tagaru', scripted a remarkable turnaround.</p>.<p>The engineer and theatre actor quit Infosys to pursue his passion for acting. Soon after his debut in ‘Director’s Special’ (2013), a black comedy directed by Guruprasad, Dhananjaya faced the harsh realities of showbiz. Seven straight flops crushed his soul.</p>.<p>His career had reached rock bottom when director Suri asked him to play an antagonist to Shivarajkumar in the crime drama ‘Tagaru’ (2018). The film was a roaring success. Dhananjaya’s character Daali became a people’s favourite, so much so that they started calling him ‘Daali Dhananjaya’. </p>.<p>Since then, there has been no stopping him. With seven films ready to hit the screens and three in the making, Dhananjaya, who has also turned producer, is perhaps the busiest Kannada actor now.</p>.<p>“I have always loved multitasking. In Mysuru, after my day at the SJCE, I would head to Rangayana (theatre institute) to act. As general secretary of the Student Council, I was actively involved in college politics. If I could be satisfied doing just one thing, I would have remained an engineer,” he says with a chuckle. </p>.<p>This busy life is a sharp contrast to his early years in cinema. To be fair, he had made no wrong moves. The likes of Guruprasad, AP Arjun, and Preetham Gubbi, in whose films he worked, were in-form directors. But unfortunately, he was appearing in their weakest films (‘Director’s Special’, ‘Eradane Sala’, ‘Rhaate’ and ‘Boxer’).</p>.<p>The positive response to his short film ‘Jayanagar 4th Block’ was an eye opener. “I was distressed and lost when I wrote it. I realised, both in this film and in ‘Director’s Special’, that people appreciated my performances even if my screen time was limited. People expected something different from me. Till then, I was just going with the flow. I decided to do what I completely believed in,” he recollects.</p>.<p>He acted in ‘Taguru’ like it was his last film. With coloured-eyes, short hair and a good physique, Daali was a departure from the typical villain in Kannada cinema. His wicked smile and sharp dialogue-delivery, along with the unmissable swagger, thrilled and petrified the audience in equal measure. </p>.<p>It was important for him to build on the film’s success. Collaborating with Suri again for ‘Popcorn Monkey Tiger’ (PMT) helped him pass the litmus test. PMT is a stunningly made violent crime drama. Dhananjaya does everything that a usual hero doesn’t. He is an egoistic and ruthless gangster dejected in love. He plunges into an affair while being in a troubled marriage and eventually pays heavily for his crimes. Dhananjaya makes us hate his character and still have empathy for him.</p>.<p>“Seena in PMT is my most challenging role yet. As an actor I need fresh experiences. It was quite difficult to come out of the character," he admits. Suri and RGV have had a huge influence on his growth. “They talk about life, philosophy and relationships. Suri has reinvented himself and is always in search of something new,” he says. </p>.<p class="CrossHead">Four languages</p>.<p>Dhananjaya is set to play diverse characters in 10 films across four languages (Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu). What kind of a star does he want to be identified as? </p>.<p>“Star status makes you extra conscious of everything. I want to be a performer who represents all sections of society. I would be a fool to miss out on interesting characters by thinking of stardom,” he reasons.</p>.<p>He is called ‘Natarakshasa’ (monster of acting) for his intense portrayals. Fans are concerned that he could be confined to villainous roles. “I am trying not to repeat my characters. From my next release ‘Salaga’, you will see me in characters with unique value,” he says. </p>.<p>In hindsight, what if Tagaru had flopped? “I would have made a film myself,” he is quick to reply. “This is a competitive world. Never complain and don’t blame the world for your failures. Whatever happens, move on.” </p>.<p>‘Salaga’, ‘Ratnan Prapancha’, ‘Head Bush’, and ‘Pushpa’ (Telugu) are his next big releases. </p>.<p>Has success changed him as a person? “I am still the same. I tell my family and friends that I will be there for them when they need me. If I am busy it means I am chasing my dreams,” he wraps up.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Vocal for a cause</p>.<p>Dhananjaya is vocal on many topics, and is putting his weight behind the movement against Hindi imposition. “It is important to take a stand,” he says. </p>
<p>Amazed by his performance in the violent Telugu love story ‘Bhairava Geetha’ (2018), Ram Gopal Verma asked Dhananjaya, “Where were you all these days?”</p>.<p>RGV, director of such hits as ‘Rangeela’ and ‘Satya,’ is highly regarded in the Hindi and Telugu industries for introducing new talent. </p>.<p>Dhananjaya, who hails from Hassan, was an obscure name in the Kannada film industry before one film, 'Tagaru', scripted a remarkable turnaround.</p>.<p>The engineer and theatre actor quit Infosys to pursue his passion for acting. Soon after his debut in ‘Director’s Special’ (2013), a black comedy directed by Guruprasad, Dhananjaya faced the harsh realities of showbiz. Seven straight flops crushed his soul.</p>.<p>His career had reached rock bottom when director Suri asked him to play an antagonist to Shivarajkumar in the crime drama ‘Tagaru’ (2018). The film was a roaring success. Dhananjaya’s character Daali became a people’s favourite, so much so that they started calling him ‘Daali Dhananjaya’. </p>.<p>Since then, there has been no stopping him. With seven films ready to hit the screens and three in the making, Dhananjaya, who has also turned producer, is perhaps the busiest Kannada actor now.</p>.<p>“I have always loved multitasking. In Mysuru, after my day at the SJCE, I would head to Rangayana (theatre institute) to act. As general secretary of the Student Council, I was actively involved in college politics. If I could be satisfied doing just one thing, I would have remained an engineer,” he says with a chuckle. </p>.<p>This busy life is a sharp contrast to his early years in cinema. To be fair, he had made no wrong moves. The likes of Guruprasad, AP Arjun, and Preetham Gubbi, in whose films he worked, were in-form directors. But unfortunately, he was appearing in their weakest films (‘Director’s Special’, ‘Eradane Sala’, ‘Rhaate’ and ‘Boxer’).</p>.<p>The positive response to his short film ‘Jayanagar 4th Block’ was an eye opener. “I was distressed and lost when I wrote it. I realised, both in this film and in ‘Director’s Special’, that people appreciated my performances even if my screen time was limited. People expected something different from me. Till then, I was just going with the flow. I decided to do what I completely believed in,” he recollects.</p>.<p>He acted in ‘Taguru’ like it was his last film. With coloured-eyes, short hair and a good physique, Daali was a departure from the typical villain in Kannada cinema. His wicked smile and sharp dialogue-delivery, along with the unmissable swagger, thrilled and petrified the audience in equal measure. </p>.<p>It was important for him to build on the film’s success. Collaborating with Suri again for ‘Popcorn Monkey Tiger’ (PMT) helped him pass the litmus test. PMT is a stunningly made violent crime drama. Dhananjaya does everything that a usual hero doesn’t. He is an egoistic and ruthless gangster dejected in love. He plunges into an affair while being in a troubled marriage and eventually pays heavily for his crimes. Dhananjaya makes us hate his character and still have empathy for him.</p>.<p>“Seena in PMT is my most challenging role yet. As an actor I need fresh experiences. It was quite difficult to come out of the character," he admits. Suri and RGV have had a huge influence on his growth. “They talk about life, philosophy and relationships. Suri has reinvented himself and is always in search of something new,” he says. </p>.<p class="CrossHead">Four languages</p>.<p>Dhananjaya is set to play diverse characters in 10 films across four languages (Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu). What kind of a star does he want to be identified as? </p>.<p>“Star status makes you extra conscious of everything. I want to be a performer who represents all sections of society. I would be a fool to miss out on interesting characters by thinking of stardom,” he reasons.</p>.<p>He is called ‘Natarakshasa’ (monster of acting) for his intense portrayals. Fans are concerned that he could be confined to villainous roles. “I am trying not to repeat my characters. From my next release ‘Salaga’, you will see me in characters with unique value,” he says. </p>.<p>In hindsight, what if Tagaru had flopped? “I would have made a film myself,” he is quick to reply. “This is a competitive world. Never complain and don’t blame the world for your failures. Whatever happens, move on.” </p>.<p>‘Salaga’, ‘Ratnan Prapancha’, ‘Head Bush’, and ‘Pushpa’ (Telugu) are his next big releases. </p>.<p>Has success changed him as a person? “I am still the same. I tell my family and friends that I will be there for them when they need me. If I am busy it means I am chasing my dreams,” he wraps up.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Vocal for a cause</p>.<p>Dhananjaya is vocal on many topics, and is putting his weight behind the movement against Hindi imposition. “It is important to take a stand,” he says. </p>