If not for director Guruprasad, techie Dhananjay would have been silently at his keyboard, writing programs, and continued as one among the million. But destiny had other plans.
Now, the actor, who has found fame in Sandalwood, is not merely the face of acclaimed films like Director’s Special, Jayanagar 4th Block (a short film) and Rhaatee; he will also play the lead in a slew of other films — projects bagged thanks to his impeccable acting.
While he will be seen in Boxer, Badmaash, Vijayaditya, Jessie and Allama Prabhu, the actor’s excitement is palpable when he talks about his second outing with his mentor, Guruprasad, once more for Eradane Sala.
The film, which will go on floors from June 15, is special to Dhananjay because it was his meeting the director that transformed his life and made him realise his dreams.
He says, “I worked with Guruprasad for three years, and it felt quite comfortable. Associating with him again will be more like playing cricket on home ground. Guru has the knack of identifying an actor’s strength and playing around it. He knows that I am a ‘close-up actor’ and that helps him to capture my performance well.”
In the Eradane Sala, Dhananjay will essay the role of an architect for which he is sporting a short hairdo. “In
Director’s Special, I had a long beard and hair because Guruprasad wanted my character to have that look. Now, he wants me to have a trim look.”
Eradane Sala is a family saga with a love story, the actor tells us. “Since it is Guruprasad’s second film with me. Producer’s Yogesh Narayan’s first film was Modalasala (first time) and this is his second film too.” So , the director thought Eradane Sala (second time) was an apt title, he reveals.
The actor has a tight schedule, with the shoot for two songs remaining for Badmaash, while he is gearing up for Eradane Sala. Nagabharana’s Allamma Prabhu and Jessie with Pavan Wadeyar are lined up as well.
A look at his career graph gives you the impression that Dhananjay likes to dabble in all genres of commercial cinema. The actor asserts that he doesn’t want to restrict himself to roles in films with mass appeal.
“I want to be a complete hero like Dr Rajkumar. Films like Director’s Special, Rhaatee, soon to be released Boxer, followed by Badmaash and others may not make me a star overnight. But after 10 films, if people look back at my career, I will have taken up different roles and proved my mettle with each one,” he says.
To him, apart from playing the hero, characterisation is important. “It is the vibrancy in a character that appeals to all kinds of audiences. Just carrying one image might get monotonous. At this point, I am trying to challenge myself by working across different genres, and I have been lucky to get directors who want the same,” he says.