Exclusive! Darshan: I will work with new directors if they can handle the subject and not just Darshan the star

In 2018, Challenging Star Darshan’s release was Yajamana, his first collaboration with music composer V Harikrishna as director and producers Shylaja Nag and B Suresha. 2019 had Odeya, with producer Sandesh Nagaraj, followed by Roberrt in 2021 with Tharun Sudhir and Umapathy Srinivas. His next, Kranti is yet again with team Yajamana, while Tharun has been given the responsibility of the two films thereafter. Darshan will then return to work with Harikrishna, Shylaja and Suresha for a third collaboration - that’s the lineup as of now.

The question his fans have, of course, is just why he is continuing to do films with only a few people and not giving newer talent an opportunity to present him with fresh content. So we asked the actor and this is what he had to say, “I don’t distinguish between newbie and veteran filmmakers; whoever it is, he should have the capability to handle the subject and not Darshan the star. If a filmmaker can execute a script as narrated for the screen, 100% I will work with whoever he is. For instance, in Nanna Preethiya Ramu, I played a visually-challenged character, which means that I have to be portrayed like one and not based on my image as a superstar. The question then is whether to focus on the subject or Darshan. “

The actor elaborates, “When I say handling the subject or Darshan, it boils down to the directors, writers and dialogue writers. Most heroes do not ‘talk’ about other actors in their films, whether it is a punch line or counter-dialogue, as we call it. At least I don’t do it. Sometimes, it so happens that you are given a line, which sounds appealing to you, but then a fan war breaks out over it and you realize that something is amiss. The director or dialogue writer may have tried working with some other star, which didn’t work out and then they keep that in mind and write stuff for, say, my film, which I say and creates an issue. Is that my mistake? Should I take the blame for that? That is why I need people who will handle the subject well.”