Exclusive: I don’t subscribe to the general definition of success, says ‘Kotee’ star Dhananjaya

Parameshwar Gundkal, the said partner-in-crime, is a recognised voice on Kannada television and has proven his mettle over many successful projects. And leaving no stone unturned for his big-screen plunge, Param has chosen an intriguing idea that marries a commercial template with real-life inspirations.

On the sets of ‘Kotee’. (Supplied)

A common man in trouble

“I play this middle-class guy who wants to earn ₹1 crore but with honesty. He toils hard but things take a completely different shape in the process,” Dhananjaya reveals. The trailer of Kotee suggests that his character gets entangled in a world of crime and is left at a crossroads.

“Kotee (also the name of his character) is pretty close to the common man I played in other films like Rathnan Prapancha (2021) and Badava Rascal (2021). But this guy comes with a different past, a different philosophy, and emotional needs, and he thinks differently, in general. I was impressed with the way the film is written (by Param himself) and something about the story clung to me.”

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Straddling multiple worlds

Did he worry about his director’s transition from TV to cinema? “Well, if he could write such a good script, I believed that he could execute as a director as well. Since he has pulled off so many big things on TV, directing a film wasn’t going to be tough anyway— and I proceed to work with a new filmmaker only when I am sure that they know what they are doing,” he adds.

Moksha Kushal, as Navami, plays the female lead in the film while Ramesh Indira, who dazzled everyone with his performance in Sapta Sagaradaache Ello (2023), essays the role of a ‘powerful gang leader’ named Dinoo Saavkar.

Dhananjaya’s Badava Rascal and Tagaru Palya (2023) colleagues Thara, Rangayana Raghu (both as part of the cast), and Vasuki Vaibhav (for music) accompany him once again and if the results of their previous two collaborations are to go by, then we might have another box-office winner on the cards.

A still from ‘Kotee’. (Supplied)

Scouting talent, new or old, has been a part of Dhananjaya’s modus operandi for a while now.

A self-made man

A self-made artiste himself, Dhananjaya ventured into film production in 2022 with Daali Pictures and has proactively sought out new filmmakers, writers, actors, and so on, since its inception. If a film like Tagaru Palya captures the quintessence and rusticity of a specific region of Karnataka, a Badava Rascal targets a younger crowd with its blend of humour, songs, emotions, and, of course, a love track.

“You look for something wholesome as a story. It has to say something special and yet cater to a larger audience and entertain them. At Daali Pictures, we always keep an eye out but I end up running into storytellers on film sets or through other contacts. It’s a small world. But I am the first person to read the script and I make the final call as well”.

Then why doesn’t he lap up the chance to star in those films himself?

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“It’s about setting the right expectations for the audience and giving the story the right platform; Tagaru Palya for instance, it has to be made a certain way and I suppose I am not the best fit there. That said, I do feel tempted to keep some of these scripts for myself (laughs),” he says.

Daredevil Musthafa (2023) director Shashank Soghal is working on a script that envisions him in the lead. An interesting collaboration, no doubt, considering it brings together two exciting talents and he adds that it would be a “different kind of a mass film” for sure.

‘Not every film can do the same kind of business’

So, the wheel keeps turning for Dhananjaya who is well aware of the rules of the game today. He admits that an out-and-out experiment, such as Popcorn Monkey Tiger (2020), may not be up his alley at the moment but should something charming come along regardless, he is always game to try it out by all means.

“Success is a parameter in the business but I look at it quite differently. Some might say that my recent films haven’t worked but I believe not every film can do the same kind of business— as long as my producers aren’t in losses, I am happy”.

Dhananjaya’s upcoming slew of projects is as eclectic as it gets—he has a slick action thriller titled Zebra (alongside Satyadev Kancharana) in Telugu up for release and will also be seen reprising his role of Jaali Reddy, later this year, in Sukumar’s Pushpa: The Rule (2024).

In Kannada, there’s the two-part gangster saga Uttarakaanda that is currently on floors and he is also set to reunite with his Badava Rascal director Shankar Guru for a quirky film titled Anna From Mexico. That’s more than just a handful, isn’t it?

(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)

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