This story is from April 7, 2015

Steps away from stardom: Dhananjaya

People now come home to take pictures with me on Sundays: Dhananjaya
Steps away from stardom: Dhananjaya
Software engineer-turned-actor Dhananjaya set sail into Sandalwood last year, armed with a background in regional theatre. The actor, who seems to be sitting on the brink of the yet-elusive stardom, has as many as six plum projects lined up for the year — quite a feat for a newcomer. From popular directors like Preetham Gubbi, TS Nagabharana and Pawan Wadeyar to the more experimental new crop of directors like Akash Srivatsa (of Sule Sathya fame), Satya Prakash (of Jayanagar 4th Block fame) and Vikyath (assistant director making his debut as director), Dhananjaya insists he has been signing up for films that allow him to portray his versatility as an actor.
All this even while his two films so far have been average hits at the box office. A quick chat with the actor reveals what the fuss is all about…
So many films, in so little time — do expectations get to you at times? I am happy about it, but at the same time, they make me nervous too. Even though the two films I have done so far have not been super hits, they are sort of establishing me as a mass hero. While I would ideally want people to look at me as a versatile actor, I want to see how they react to my next few releases before I decide on how to take my career forward. For instance, if the mass appeal works, I will definitely not think twice about playing the same Dhananjaya in as many movies as people may want me to.
How do you know if you are on the right track? Well, as far as the producers are concerned, only box office results matter. So as of now, not much has worked in my favour financially. As far as getting to work with talented people, my next few signings are in my favour. Even if some of them are mass-oriented, each role is pretty different from the other. There is Allama too, a non-mass, experimental period film that I am sure not many actors have attempted to do since the time of Dr Rajkumar. And most importantly, audiences seem to have liked my on-screen work. It is rather overwhelming to see people travel from across the state on Sundays, search for where I live, just to be able to meet me and take pictures with me.
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