The Girlfriend changed how the industry sees me: Dheekshith Shetty

Riding high on a string of impactful performances, actor Dheekshith Shetty is steadily carving a space for himself across industries. After leaving a mark with Dasara and his more recent outing The Girlfriend alongside Rashmika Mandanna, he is now stepping into a new phase with bigger, performance-driven projects—including a romantic triangle with Dulquer Salmaan and Pooja Hegde. As he navigates multiple languages and evolving storytelling formats, Dheekshith reflects on how the industry’s perception of him has changed, his growing range of choices, and why, at the core of it all, he is simply chasing good stories. ‘I am being offered more performance-oriented roles post Dasara & The Girlfriend’Dheekshith, who was part of the 2023 Telugu film Dasara, says the shift has been significant. “The kind of scripts coming my way and the way the industry looks at me now—it’s overwhelming. After The Girlfriend, it has only become stronger. I’m getting more performance-oriented roles,” he shares. He adds that the biggest change has been the freedom to choose. “Earlier, the options were limited. Now, working across Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries, I have more scripts to consider. That’s been the biggest positive,” he says.Despite conversations around image and typecasting, Dheekshith is clear about his priorities. “Many people told me that doing a film like The Girlfriend might affect future roles. But I felt it’s a story that needed to be told. You don’t get such scripts often. As actors, we also have a social responsibility. I want to strike a balance between entertainment and meaningful storytelling,” he says.‘A strong co-actor elevates your performance’After playing a layered and unsettling character in The Girlfriend, Dheekshith acknowledges the expectations but says his focus is inward. “I always want to perform better, regardless of how many people have watched it. I’ve seen things I could have done better, so I work on those. It’s personal for me. However, I believe it’s very important to have good co-actors. Acting isn’t a solo effort. When your co-actor is strong, your job becomes easier — you just react,” he says.Preparation, he adds, is key. “We always discuss scenes beforehand. You can’t just come on set and say you’ll go with the flow,” he says. Recalling his experience working with Rashmika Mandanna, he says, “It never felt like I was acting with a star. After every shot, we’d ask each other — did you feel what I did? There was complete honesty. If something didn’t work, we said it openly.”Dheekshith credits his directors for shaping his performances. “When a director has clarity, everything becomes easier. In The Girlfriend, I was told not to see Vikram as negative — just someone who doesn’t know better. That helped me stay balanced,” he says. ‘Cinema is evolving every six months’Speaking about the changing landscape, the actor notes how quickly the industry is evolving. “Even budgets — what once seemed big is now basic. AI is now used in films; for one project, we used it for dubbing due to time constraints. It’s helpful, but can also be a threat,” he says. He also points to a shift in formats. “There’s now a clear distinction — some films are for theatres, others for OTT. Cinema is evolving every six months.” While formats differ, he believes the core of acting remains unchanged. “OTT and theatre don’t change much for an actor, but the format matters. A web series allows more exploration, while a film has to be tighter and more visual.”