Exclusive! Rathnan Prapancha is the first straight-to-OTT Kannada star film release: Dhananjaya

When filmmaker Rohit Padaki asked Dhananjaya to be a part of his next directorial, the actor was at the height of his Tagaru and Popcorn Monkey Tiger hangover, with a hardcore gangster and villain onscreen image. “I was completely lost in those kinds of roles, and when Rohit told me his story, it not only struck a chord, but also transported me back to my days of doing shorts like Jayanagar 4th Block. It felt good to be offered a feel-good cinema. Usually, filmmakers will not even bother offering you something different once you have a set image in cinema. But Rohit insisted that this is a film that will explore an aspect of me as an artiste that no one has done before and that I needed to break free from being typecast. By the time he finished his narration, I was teary-eyed; the story was so emotional. The prospect of playing a common man and portraying middle-class life, values and relationships was exciting, so I took it up immediately,” says Dhananjaya.

But there is no denying that Dhananjaya’s stardom today is built on his gangster/villain image; he is, after all, referred to as Daali (his Tagaru character) now. Naturally, there are expectations of a Dhananjaya film, which Rathnan Prapancha may not fulfil. “I firmly believe that audiences will accept me in this avatar as well. In fact, I had the same doubt in the beginning and had spoken to Rohit about it. He instilled the confidence in me that audiences enjoyed seeing me first in Jayanagar 4th Block, Director’s Special, etc., before I took on a full-on mass image. He told me that I should not be worried about any image and only think of myself as an artiste who is capable of taking on any kind of role. Rohit was sure that Rathnakara would be widely accepted, which I truly realized after the trailer was released for the first time. The response to it was phenomenal. Also, the film comes close on the heels of my role in Salaga, where, as a police officer, I had a positive spin, which audiences enjoyed. I believe that will spill over for this character too,” reasons the actor, adding, though, that he is anxious to know what audiences think of role in Rathnan Prapancha.

The journey of making this film, he adds, was thoroughly enjoyable, especially in the company of great artistes as his co-stars, be it Umashree as his mother, Reba as his pair, or Pramod, Shruti, Anu Prabhakar, etc., every single one of who plays an important part in Rathnakara’s life. “The writing was splendid, as was the casting and the whole making process. This is a film that involved a journey, so we travelled a lot. Making this film was so much fun that I didn’t realize time going by and that we’d finished it. The thing about Rathnan Prapancha is that this is a character that truly connected with me, because of how relatable it is,” he adds.

Dhananjaya also says that although the film has nine primary characters, Rathnakara remains the central focus. “But having said that I must add that everyone involved with this film has done a phenomenal job with their characters. There isn’t a particular character that stands out and steals the show, even though Umashree’s character has been widely appreciated after the trailer came out. We needed all these people to complete Rathnan Prapancha, because it could not be about Rathnakara alone. His journey of self-realization needed people in his life, be it his mother, sister, brother etc. In fact, I think when you finish watching the film, it will be Rathnakara who stays lingers on,” he says.

The travel involved, especially the shoot in Kashmir, and working with Umashree will remain with him forever, says Dhananjaya. “When you are working with a fantastic co-star, the energy on set is on a different level, the give and take of each spoken line and sequence being enhanced by the talent on display. It was quite exhilarating working with Umashree and Shruti,” he says, adding, “As for shooting in Kashmir, amid snowfall, that experience is indescribable.”

The film will drop on Prime Video at midnight, so, what does Dhananjaya think will appeal to people? “Rathnan Prapancha that will make you laugh, but also leave you teary-eyed. It is a story that will relate to most audiences and I am sure they will come back for a repeat viewing,” he says.

On a parting note, though, the film’s straight-to-OTT, at a time when most Kannada filmmakers rue that getting to a platform like that isn’t easy, puts a lot of pressure on the team too, because it could make or break it for Kannada cinema. “I can very confidently say that this is Kannada cinema’s first straight-to-OTT star film release. The content is good and Rathnan Prapancha will be a hit on OTT, paving the way for other films to follow,” he says.