'Kantara' fame Naveen Bondel roped in by Hombale Films for Bagheera and Salaar!

One has often seen bit players in films elevate a particular scene with their small-albeit-cinematic presence. Naveen Bondel, who has an unenviable duration of screen time in Rishab Shetty's Kantara, is one such classic instance of an actor making a strong impression in a matter of a minute or two. Following the phenomenal success of the film, many have hailed Naveen's performance and his rather provocative & mesmeric eyes for setting the right tone for the glorious story to unfold. So much so that Naveen Bondel, a former bus conductor and a passionate stage actor, has now become a cult figure of sorts on the internet.

And quite fortunately, it would seem that the new-found fame has already begun to fetch Naveen some amazing acting opportunities. In a recent video interview with a popular media outlet, Naveen Bondel revealed that the makers of Kantara, Hombale Films, were so pleased with his performance that they have roped in to play exciting parts in both Bagheera and the most-anticipated Salaar, starring Prabhas.

"Once Kantara released, I began to get offers from various corners. In fact, I was already cast to play a role in Hombale Films' Bagheera but since Kantara came out first, that became my first association with Hombale Films. I have already finished shooting for Bagheera and just when I was hoping to work with Hombale again, I was roped in to play a part in Salaar. It's a huge opportunity and I am keenly looking forward to it," said Naveen Bondel in the interview.

Many media outlets and YouTube channels began to reach out to Naveen after Kantara released in theatres and his performance in the initial moments of the film began to gain some popularity. Through these means, the 48-year-old actor was able to share his life journey and the lengths to which he has gone to keep his passion for acting burning alive, thus shedding light on the plight of the many lesser-known faces working in cinema.

A native of the Bondel locality in Mangaluru, Naveen is said to have worked as a bus conductor for many years before giving up the job to run his small business. Despite the tough financial circumstances, Naveen Bondel shares in an interview that he found acting on stage to be solacing and, in fact, he has been actively performing for more than 30 years before a film like Kantara came calling.