Bank of Bhagyalakshmi’s Dheekshith Shetty: Comedy is not a genre for everyone, so… | Exclusive

In the run-up to the release of his latest in Kannada, Bank of Bhagyalakshmi, during press meets and other media interactions, Dheekshith Shetty was almost always bombarded with queries about his The Girlfriend co-star Rashmika Mandanna and her relationship status, and rarely ever about his comedy heist film that is in theatres now. The actor’s reading of this situation is that when the time comes for his next film, he’d rather not have the producer spend money on press meets. 

Instead, a select few promotional interviews will do the trick, he reckons. “I have repeatedly said that the dynamic between Rashmika and me did not leave much scope for personal discussions. And even if we did, why would I break her trust and give some channel fodder for TRP? If she has told me something in good will, it is meant to stay with me,” reasoned Dheekshith, about all the interest in Rashmika.

Bank of Bhagyalakshmi, meanwhile, is Dheekshith’s first Kannada release in more than a year and a half, his last being the sci-fi thriller Blink. Directed by debutant Manjunath, the film was pitched to several other actors before it came to Dheekshith. “It went to Rishab Shetty sir, some other star, and was even announced with Krishna Ajai Rao sir in the lead. It was sometime in 2023 that it finally came to me and I said yes to it because I really liked how much fun the subject seemed like,” he said.

Dheekshith Shetty: Strongly believe that the script selects its actors

Was he not bothered that the script had done its rounds and then came to him? “This is not the first script that came to me much later; even The Girlfriend and Dasara were like that. I am the kind of actor who strongly believes that the script selects its actors. So, if a script comes to me and I like it, I go ahead and do it, no matter what,” Dheekshith reasoned.

Bank of Bhagyalakshmi is the actor’s first attempt at a comedy, a genre that he admits is not easy to crack. “Making audiences laugh is no mean task. The reason I took up this film was because Blink was a very serious subject, as were KTM and Dia. I did not want to get typecast and was looking for something light-hearted, preferably a romantic comedy. When Bank of Bhagyalakshmi then came to me, I felt it is the right move to make, even though perfecting the body language and voice modulations required for comedy would not be easy,” he said.

Interestingly, Dheekshith’s Dasara co-star Nani’s comedy films were a great inspiration for the actor, who then began working on a more exaggerated body language that would be apt for the genre. “Comedy is all about timing. Also, the kind of lines that I had to say in the film were new for me and I had to work on literally owning them. It was up to me to convince audiences that I was saying those lines. I lost count of how often I practised my lines during the making of the film,” said the actor.

Then again, comedy is not a genre that everyone can ace. For instance, Fahadh Faasil was called out as the weakest link of his last release, the quirky comedy Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira. “I agree that comedy is not for everyone, which is why it is important for me to know from audiences if I have succeeded or not. I think I have done justice to the genre and have got some audience feedback that it is great to see me in a different, never-before-seen avatar. My only thought when I took it up was that it is my duty as an actor to at least give it a shot. I don’t want to restrict myself as an artiste,” Dheekshith added.

Also read: Bank of Bhagyalakshmi movie review: Dheekshith Shetty is the heart and soul of passable heist comedy 

The verdict on whether or not he can pull off a comedic role is important to the actor, because he is doing another such film currently. “I have reunited with Dia maker KS Ashok, who is making a comedy film this time around,” quipped Dheekshith. The challenge with comedy is also that it is best viewed as a community experience in a theatre. Getting people to commit to that experience is easier said than done, though, these days. “Also, true. Comedy has to be watched with people around you; laughter is infectious. The Kannada film industry is running on hope now, given its low success rate,” he said.

The only way to get people to theatres for films not led by big stars is to ensure that there is something in the content that can attract them. “A trailer or song has to be the major hook. The best example for that is Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi. That song, Dwapara, got audiences to theatres and made the film a hit. The content has to speak for itself. Also, these days, no matter the scale of your film, it has to look and feel like a big movie – production value is very important,” explained Dheekshith.

Also read: Dheekshith Shetty: Bank of Bhagyalakshmi explores a hard-hitting truth with humour 

The actor added, “I say this because of our ticket prices. When you charge someone, say, Rs 270-300 per ticket and not giving him/her a theatrical experience, they will feel it is not worth spending that money. On the contrary, if the person is spending only Rs 100, even if the film is only decent, he will feel it was value for money. You can’t expect audiences to spend Rs 1,000 on a ticket when there is no visual treat or content; they would rather use that money to watch a film in another language.”

FAQs

Q. What are Dheekshith Shetty's upcoming films?

A. The Girlfriend actor Dheekshith Shetty's newest release is Bank of Bhagylakshmi. He's got films like KJQ, Shabara, Oppees, DQ41, among many others, lined up.

Q. What is Dheekshith Shetty's claim to fame?

A. Dheekshith Shetty was in the popular TV serial Naagini, after which he was noticed in 2020's Dia.