Dhananjay, who is mostly featured in lead roles, played a memorable role as the antagonist in Shivarajkumar- Suri’s Tagaru. An actor, who values the script over just being a hero, isn’t reluctant to feature as a pivotal character in a film. And one such opportunity was Vijay Milton’s Bairagee, which had him once again faceoff against Shivarajkumar.
“Apart from Vijay Milton’s script, Shivanna is one of the reasons to take up this role. I believe that at times we need to don various avatars through which we can tell a good story. Through Bairagee, Shivanna has a good message to tell the audience, and I was happy to join him. Moreover, I got an opportunity to collaborate with director Vijay Milton, producer Krishna Sarthak, and actor Pruthvi Ambar among others.”
Dhananjay says that he did get to play villain roles after Tagaru, but those films did not give him much space and scope. “When it comes to Shivanna, he makes sure that the actors working along with him get equal screen space, and that is his greatness,” says Dhananjay, who was quick to mention that audiences cannot expect his role from Tagaru in Bairagee.
“Vijay Milton’s films mostly have the lead actors showcasing common man roles. Bairagee is a film that exhibits what is happening around us. It is very realistic, and at the same time makes for a commercial entertainer,” he adds. Sharing his experience of working with director Vijay Milton, Dhananjay says, “I was introduced to Vijay Milton by our music director Anoop Seelin, and I had watched the director’s film, Goli Soda, which I felt was a good experiment made by a cinematographer.
He also worked as a DOP in Pogaru, and he also offered me Mazhai Piddikaadha Manidhan. He later considered me for Bairagee. Vijay Milton has become more of a friend to me now. As a cinematographer and director, he has understood the nuances of cinema.” Dhananjay, who is one of the busiest actors of 2022, shares that he is enjoying this phase. The actor who has been juggling between projects has begun shooting for his 25th film, Hoysala in Mysuru.
“There was a time, I handled it all alone. But now I have found good friends in producers Karthik Gowda and Yogi G Raj, who are bankrolling my milestone project, Hoysala. I will be collaborating with them for multiple films,” says Dhananjay. His lineup of releases includes Monsoon Raaga, which releases on August 12, Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda (September 9), Head Bush (October 21), and two Tamil films that are slated to hit theatres this year.
“Work is giving me that kick, but I am also looking to take a small break,” says Dhananjay who wants to follow Dr. Rajkumar and Shivanna, and craft a career by playing a variety of roles. It is easy and safe to just play the hero’s role, and I like to experiment with my roles,” says Dhananjay, who is also anxious to know how the audience will receive his back-to-back films.
Although Dhananjay has directorial aspirations, he is putting them on the backburner for now. However, Dhananjay who has donned multiple avatars like lyricist and producer, has now turned story writer and is planning to take some time off to complete writing a script. “I have started writing a story, and it is at the initial stage. I will have a lot to talk about it once I’m done with my writing,” he says.