Darshan: I follow fan dictated dos and don’ts in my films because I am who I am because of them

Fan expectations is a burden that every star worth his salt carries – once an image is set, there are certain things that have to be a part of the narrative, no matter what. The bigger the star, the more the expectations. Challenging Star Darshan career is also bound by these ‘rules’, which he follows happily. These days, the Kannada superstar is busy promoting his upcoming release, Kranti, which is set to hit theatres on January 26, 2023. He was speaking to Cinema Express recently when he was asked about the sacrifices he makes for his fans in terms of his choice of roles and whether he is answerable to them.

The answer to that, he says, is simple. He is answerable to his fans, who he calls celebrities, with every film of his, because he is who he is today because of them. As a result, when a movie or role is offered to him, there are certain criteria that is looked into. For instance, he says, his character will not go chasing the heroine, use disrespectful language with her or hit her. These are rules that he has to follow. “My celebrities are my everything, and I have to do what they like,” he was quoted as saying.

Kranti is Darshan’s second film with director V Harikrishna, which sees him reuniting with Bulbul and Ambareesha co-star Rachita Ram after a decade. The film, produced by Shylaja Nag and B Suresha for their Media House Studio, has the actor playing a successful NRI, who returns to Karnataka to save his alma mater, a Kannada medium school.

Up next, the actor is working on his next collaboration with Tharun Sudhir, the as-yet-untitled #D56, produced by Rockline Venkatesh, which introduces Malashree’s daughter Radhana Ram as his leading lady. Thereafter, the actor will apparently return to do yet another film with team Yajamana and Kranti.