Exclusive! I am not a hero just yet; I am only the lead actor of Takkar, says debutant actor Manoj Kumar

Takkar is a film that introduces a new hero to Kannada cinema, one who has an uncanny similarity to one of the biggest stars of the industry, Darshan. Manoj, the lead actor of the Raghu Shastry directorial, is the Darshan’s cousin’s son, and not only looks a lot like his famous uncle, but stands just as tall. But despite this big industry connect, Manoj is acutely aware that when his film releases on May 6, audiences will see him like any other newcomer. “Today, I am still nobody; I can’t even call myself a hero. I am the lead actor of Takkar. I will be a hero when I have my own followers and I am hoping that Takkar will pave the way for that. Until such time, I know that I have to give audiences quality content to watch and that’s what we have attempted with Takkar,” says the actor.

The film, which went on floors in late 2018 and completed a year later, was meant to be an early 2020 release. “But then the pandemic struck and derailed all our plans. Initially, we wanted to release the film in the gap between Roberrt and Yuvarathnaa, but then we didn’t manage enough theatres, and by the time Yuvarathnaa came, theatre occupancy was reduced to 50% again. Since then, we have been on the lookout for a window to release the film, where we are not affected too much by a big film. Right now, we have fixed May 6 for our release, a day on which Sharan sir’s Avatara Purusha part 1 also comes out, but we believe that since our films belong to different genres, the audiences that would watch them are also different.,” Manoj explains about the delay in bringing his launchpad to theatres.

Raghu’s film, adds the actor, is a commercial drama that focuses on cybercrime. “The focus of our film is that even though electronic gadgets and social media are helpful, they are just as harmful,” he says. But isn’t this a similar subject as Ramesh Aravind’s 100? “Ramesh sir’s film was also about cybercrime and was the remake of a Tamil film. Takkar is an original subject, but it is also about cybercrime and that’s where the similarity ends. In the film, I play a college student, who is trapped in a vicious cyber scam and how he gets himself and his family out of it forms the crux of the narrative. We have given the film a commercial treatment with the right amount of action, drama, emotion and romance,” says Manoj.

Takkar pairs Manoj with Kannadathi fame Ranjani Raghavan, while Sourav Lokesh, better known as Bhajarangi Loki, is the antagonist. Fights have been choreographed by Danny master, while Manikanth Kadri has composed the tunes. Cinematography of the film is by William David (of Rangitaranga fame).