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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! Dhananjaya: People Will Love Rathnakara As Much As They Loved Daali
South actor Dhananjaya is on a winning streak. With incessant film releases and announcements, the actor has been wowing his legion of fans. Currently, the stalwart is basking in the success of his latest release Salaga co-starring Duniya Vijay (also the actioner's director). On the flip side, he is also awaiting his highly anticipated film Rathnan Prapancha which is releasing on October 22 on Amazon Prime Video, marking his maiden OTT venture.
Directed by Rohit Padaki, the film also features Reba Monica John in the lead. With its recent trailer release, the film has already garnered undivided attention. In fact, what has grabbed eyeballs is Dhananjaya's role as Rathnakara, an Insurance agent which seems unconventional from the characters he has played earlier in his illustrious acting career.
In an exclusive tête-à-tête with Filmibeat, Dhananjaya gets candid about his character Rathnakara from Rathnan Prapancha. The seasoned actor also shares about foraying into new film industries, his next biggie Pushpa and also other exciting forthcoming projects. Basically everything under the sun about films and only films.
Excerpts:
Tell us what intrigued you to be a part of Rathnan Prapancha?
The story and the writing. I was in tears when Rohit Padaki narrated the story. I got emotional post the narration because I belong to a middle-class family and the film is also about a middle-class man who is an insurance agent. His struggles and realizations were something I could easily connect to. Every single character and dialogue in the film were relatable too. I really wanted to do such a character because I was totally into gangster and mass commercial films, and suddenly a director comes and narrates a story about a common man with lots of values and middle-class emotions. So, I said yes to the project and I really enjoyed the whole process of it.
You are best known for your intense roles, what convinced you to play a comic character and how different it is from the ones you have played previously?
This too is an intense role, however, the situations Rathnakara (Dhananjay's character in the film) goes through are comical. I got my big break with the character Daali (from Tagaru) who was a gangster. Since then I was totally lost in such roles. Before that, I mostly played a good guy and one of them was from my first short film Jayanagar 4th Block which I wrote and acted. And after a very long time, Rohit came up with such a role and I really wanted to do it. It gets boring when you keep playing similar characters. So I was happy to be Rathnakara. It was a different experience. I wanted to do such a character in this phase of my career.
The film marks your fourth release post the pandemic and first OTT venture. What's the feeling like?
Good (laughs). One of my films (Salaga) is running in theatres now. It's a blockbuster and now there is an OTT film coming on October 22. So it's a good feeling. If I had done similar roles in both the films, I don't think it would have gotten the same response which it is getting now. So every character which I am playing in each film is different now, especially after the second wave. Salaga's character is totally different. I am playing an upright cop and people are enjoying it. Initially, I was wondering how people would react to Ratnakara, but the trailer has become a huge hit. So I think people want to see him more. And definitely, I am happy and excited. People will surely accept and love Rathnakara as much as they loved and accepted Daali.
You have been on an experimenting spree. Of late you are exploring different roles and for that matter even film industries. Tell us what motivates you to push boundaries.
I want my life to be very exciting. I want to travel, meet new people, explore and read more. I want more from this life. So I am exploring. Every day is a learning process and I believe every day is a new day. So I am trying to do everything possible. I think as a creative person, one should be more open to the world, their windows and doors should be open for new light and air. I am exploring and learning that's it. I don't know where I am going but I am truly enjoying the journey.
As you have already extended your branches down south, will we see you plunging into Bollywood anytime soon?
I think south and Bollywood are two entirely different worlds. I am comfortable with south languages, be it Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. I don't know completely, but I can definitely try to learn. As far as Hindi is concerned, I can write and read the language, but I am not sure about articulation, but I would love to explore Bollywood too if I get good opportunities. Definitely, I would love to explore Bollywood too.
Pushpa is your next biggie. What are your expectations with the film and how has been the experience working with Allu Arjun?
The experience was totally good. Allu Arjun is a perfectionist. It was a new experience. I have always been a fan of Sukumar (Pushpa's director). I am someone who follows all the films of every industry. I am a big fan of Suku and I was totally surprised when someone called and told me that he wants to meet me. I have a favourite director in Kannada named Soori (Duniya Soori- Director of Tagaru). So when I met Sukumar, I could feel that the duo's thought processes were quite similar. He (Sukumar) cast me after watching Tagaru and Bhairava Geetha (directed by Ram Gopal Varma). I enjoyed playing Jolly Reddy. He is one of the colourful characters in the film. There are many antagonists in Pushpa and I am one of them. But it surely will make a mark and will get me more reach in other industries too. People call me Daali in Karnataka, and after Pushpa, I feel people from other industries will start calling me Jolly (laughs). We did the look test multiple times. I have been to Hyderabad 4-5 times for the look test and finally, Sukumar was happy with one of them.
What are your other upcoming projects?
After Rathnan Prapancha, there is one more film, which is ready for release called Badava Rascal. It's my first production venture (releasing under Dhananjaya's Daali Pictures) too. There is another film which we are shooting right now which is Head Bush, it's a biopic of Bangalore's first underworld don MP Jayaraj, which too is coming under Daali Pictures. There is 21 hours. It's a Kannada-Malayalam film, which is under the post-production process. There are two Tamil projects. One is Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku and another one is Vijay Milton.
