Jamaligudda will haunt you long after you watch it: Dhananjaya

The actor tries to balance massy roles that fans crave for and those that challenge him as an actorYear 2022 has been a mixed bag for Dhananjaya, who is ready with his sixth film, Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda. The actor, who has had his fair share of struggles before getting a breakthrough, says he enjoys taking risks with roles and films. He’s now looking forward to ending the year with a bang, with the release of Jamaligudda.
“I met the team during the pandemic and the story line was very intriguing. There was something simple and unusual about it.”
“I play Hiroshima, a bar supplier. There’s nothing heroic about my role. Jamaligudda is a simple, feel-good film with a relatable story. It is an emotional journey of the character with many others. The director has weaved the narrative with tenderness and love and it feels good to be part of such films and essay simple-yet-relatable roles,” Dhananjaya says.

‘Fans enjoy massy roles’
Dhananjaya’s fans expect commercial, massy roles from him, but the actor has tried to maintain a balance between doing roles he likes, while catering to fans. “My fans enjoy strong massy roles. They go crazy when I deliver dialogues from Head Bush or Tagaru. I know they have expectations, but I am an actor and I have to do different roles.
“I remember when I was shooting for Rathnan Prapancha in Mysuru and I was standing there with a paunch, wearing a formal shirt, the crowd got worked up. They accused the team of making me look like that and I had to calm them down and tell them that I have to do different roles and asked them to watch it. They loved the film later. I am sure they will like Jamaligudda too. There is action, too, which I am sure my fans will enjoy.”
Asked if he faced challenges while shooting, the actor said, “Not challenges, but some of the dialogues and conversations have panned out very well. It was more interesting than challenging. The journey was good. I especially enjoyed shooting for the song, Saagide, with the little girl, Praanya P Rao.”
Dhananjaya says the team was very cordial and supportive. “Director Kushal Gowda is a wonderful narrator. He made the shoot look so easy. He has very good clarity about what he wants from actors and the film and we didn’t even realise when the shooting ended! I believe that we can perform well only if everyone around us performs well. Bhavana, Aditi Prabhudeva and Praanya were fun to work with. Yash Shetty will stand out in film; his role as Nagasaki is intriguing,” Dhananjaya adds.
“Jamaligudda is not a regular format cinema. If you go without any expectations, you will definitely enjoy the film. The film will haunt you after coming out of theatres. Of course, it is risky to take up such roles, but as actors, or as film-makers, we have to take that risk, which is also why I turned to production. I have earned a lot from films and now, with quality films, I want to give back to the industry that has given me so much,” he concludes.