Dhananjaya

Dhananjaya—yeah, the guy everyone calls ‘Daali’—is pretty much a force of nature in the Kannada film world. Not that he sticks to just one language. Nah, he’s dipped his toes in Telugu and Tamil flicks too, and people there seem to dig him just as much. He didn’t start off with the glitz and glamour, though. The dude was grinding it out in theater at Rangayana in Mysore, learning his craft the old-school way. Then, outta nowhere, lands a lead role in Director’s Special back in 2013 just after being spotted on stage. That movie? Not only did it launch him, but he also walked away with the SIIMA Best Debut Actor award like it was nothing. Fast forward a bit, and he’s played all sorts of lead roles. But here’s where things really get spicy: Tagaru (2018). He played this absolute menace of a villain, and, honestly, people couldn’t stop talking about it. That movie blew up, and suddenly, he’s got offers flying in from all over—Telugu, Tamil, you name it. He’s not just acting these days, either. Check out Ratnan Prapancha (2021), which dropped straight to Amazon Prime, making it his first digital release. Man’s keeping up with the times. And get this—he’s producing now too. Badava Rascal, Head Bush, both under his name. Oh, and if you listen closely, you’ll catch his lyrics in a few soundtracks. Some folks just can’t stick to one thing, huh?