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Darshan, Kiccha Sudeep share a stage for 60th birthday of actress and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh

Once best friends, Kiccha Sudeep and Darshan had parted ways six years ago due to reasons that are best known to them.

Shashiprasad S M

Published Aug 27, 2023 | 3:09 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2023 | 3:09 PM

Kiccha Sudeep and Darshan

Kannada star actors - Challenging Star Darshan and Kiccha Sudeep, shared the stage on the occasion of senior actress and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh's 60th birthday party. (Supplied)

On 5 March, 2017, Kannada star actor Darshan — popularly known amongst his fans by the moniker “Challenging Star” — took to  Twitter (currently X) to share, “Me & Sudeep aren’t Friends Anymore. We are just Actors working for the Kannada Industry. No more speculations please. That’s the end of it. [sic]”

Since then, the two biggest stars of the Kannada film industry maintained a distance from each other until the evening of Saturday, 26 August.

The two were seen sharing a stage at the birthday party of actress-turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh.

The Member of Parliament from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency is celebrating her 60th birthday on Sunday.

Also read: Kannada producers stopped from commenting against Sudeep

Reunion?

With the videos and photos from Sumalatha Ambareesh’s birthday bash going viral on social media platforms, rumours started making rounds that the two-star actors appeared to have finally reunited after six years.

However, sources reveal that producer Rockline Venkatesh, Sumalatha herself and Rocking Star Yash were instrumental in bringing the two actors together, to clear the differences between them.

The day Darshan made a public announcement that he and Sudeep were no longer friends, the latter did not make any dramatic announcement but quietly unfollowed Darshan on social media platforms after a gap of two years followed by cryptic messages.

Since then the die-hard fans of the actors from both sides had been at loggerheads now and then. And, it seemed like the actors ever coming back together was just a myth or a distant illusion.

But whether they really shed their differences between them is something to be awaited especially Darshan sharing the news on his social media platforms!

Darshan’s apology

While Kiccha Sudeep got busy with his projects in multiple languages, Darshan eventually got himself embroiled in a cold war with Kannada news media after an audio purportedly from him went viral on social media. It led to several leading Kannada news media unofficially banning him.

However, in a turn of events, Darshan on the eve of the Varamahalakshmi Festival in Karnataka took to X, apologising to the Kannada media.

The apology came after producer Rockline Venkatesh, who is producing the actor’s next film Kaatera managed to get a meeting with the actor and the senior journalists and editors of Kannada news media.

Produced by Rockline Venkatesh, 'Kaateera' features Challenging Star Darshan in the lead.

A poster of the film ‘Kaatera’ featuring Challenging Star Darshan with debutant Aradhanaa Ram. Produced by Rockline Venkatesh, the film is being directed by Tharun Kishore Sudhir. (Supplied)

In his post, Darshan wrote: “For the past two years, there had been some differences between me and the Kananda media after audio that was leaked in the public domain. It was a reaction to a person and never against the media as a whole.”

However, I apologise to the media if it hurts the sentiments of The media. Media has played an immense role towards the progress of the Kannada film industry. Let us work together for the industry,” he said.

Back with Prem

Darshan continued to stay in the news after KVN Production House announced that their next in Kannada will be helmed by Prem featuring Darshan playing the lead.

The duo are reuniting after a gap of 20 years. Prem’s ‘Kariya’ (2003) was a runaway hit that cemented the star status of the actor.

The two also had some differences in the past and hence never worked for almost twenty years despite delivering a blockbuster.

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