From Darshan to Jaggesh: Sandalwood stars who played unique roles in their careers

While all the actors in the Kannada film industry are talented in their own ways, not all actors are able to pull off some roles which require a lot of skill. There are some actors who are naturally gifted with the skills while there are some others who work towards it and make sure to prep well for a particularly difficult role. Here’s a look at some of those actors who made a mark with their career-defining performances.

‘Namma Preethiya Ramu’ was a tragedy and experimental movie directed by Sanjay and Vijay. ‘Namma Preethiya Ramu’ was also a career-changing movie for Darshan, who played a blind character in the plot. This one was a remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum’ and it went on to become a super hit in Kannada. Darshan and Navya Natarajan played the lead pair and the movie was well-received by the audience because of Darshan’s outstanding performance as a blind person. Ilaiyaraaja had composed the music for the film.

‘Huchcha’ was the turning point in the career of Kiccha Sudeep. The movie released in the year 2001 and was directed by Om Prakash Rao. Sudeep played the role of a lunatic in it. He essayed the role of a rowdy student in college who falls in love with a girl who is the daughter of a poor temple priest. After a fight between two groups in college, Sudeep ends up brain-damaged in an ashrama with memory loss. Sudeep’s transformation from a violent student to an unstable person in the film won him much appreciation.

Shivarajkumar, for the first time in his career, played a unique and different role in the movie ‘Kavacha’. He too portrayed the role of a blind person under GVR Vasu’s direction and the outcome was mind-blowing. It was a remake of the 2016 Malayalam movie ‘Oppam’ but the script of the movie had been changed for the Kannada audience. The movie as well as Shivarajkumar earned a lot of appreciation from the audience.

Upendra played a challenging role in the drama ‘Anatharu’ directed by Sadhu Kokila. In this one, Darshan and Upendra both played the leads. Upendra played a hyperactive person who is not very practical in life and is free-willed. Upendra’s brilliant acting skills won him a lot of praise from fans.

Jaggesh, who is primarily known for his comic acts, tried a different role for the first time with ‘Manmatha’. In the film, which was a remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Kunjikoonan’, Jaggesh played dual roles – one of a young college student and the other one of a handicapped person with a hunch. His act as a handicapped person with a comic twist was brilliant to say the least.