Can’t match up to Dhanush: Manoranjan

2018 for Kannada cinema begins with Bruhaspati directed by Nanda Kishore under Rockline Productions. This is the second film from actor Manoranjan, and it gives the actor a mass image.

He is at an age where he can experiment with different genres, before settling into what he thinks is the best. As the release date for the film draw close, CE has a chat with the actor about what defines ‘mass’.

“I started with Saheba, which had two fights choreographed by Ravi Verma. As a newcomer, I realised, that there is a different perception about ‘mass films’ among the audience. According to them, ‘mass’ includes bombastic dialogues, the hero entry, fights and so on,” he says. Though Bruhaspati will not have all of this, he tells us there will be a few of these elements, and he feels it will position him as a mass hero. The young actor says that he believes ‘mass’ is a just another term for commercial films, but he does not believe it is necessary to beat people up for it. “Moreover, Bruhaspati has a social message,” he adds.

Why do the audience accept only a few as mass heroes? “Before making my debut, I was told that I will fit into a lover boy role and that I carry my father’s (Ravichandran’s) style… but that opinion changed after they watched my first film. Even people in the industry suggested that I should try an action film because they believe I do stunts well and have an angry young man’s appearance. This was news to me. Therefore I thought of trying a commercial formula this time,” Manoranjan says. But the actor adds that he would like to up his fight and dance acts in his third film. “My strength lies in both,” he says, adding, “I hope, I can do justice to both genres.”

The trailer and teaser already show bits of Ravichandran’s signature style in his son Manoranjan. “Hats off to Nanda sir, who knows how to pull the crowds. He has an affection for me, and observed my personality and believed in my dedication. He worked out something that I could pull off,” the actor says.

He is equally excited to work with a big production house. “Rockline is a thorough professional and, at the same time, made sure that I am comfortable. In fact, when I had to stay out of Bengaluru for 30 days of shooting in Mysuru, he made sure I didn’t miss home. He wanted continuous dates because he wanted me to step into the character,” he says.

Having said that, Manoranjan found his role in Bruhaspati challenging. “It was hard to pull off, because it was originally Dhanush sir’s film. He scores 25, whereas I am at 2. Though I can’t match up to him, I tried to play the character as closely as possible,” he says.