There is a certain restlessness in Deekshith Shetty these days. The kind that comes from being applauded everywhere except where it was first expected. The actor has become a familiar face across languages with films like his debut Dia, Dasara in Telugu, and the latest success of The Girl Friend, in which he stars alongside Rashmika Mandanna. Deekshith sits down for the conversation with a mix of quiet reflection and sharp clarity that has shaped his career so far. His next film, Bank of Bhagyalakshmi (BOB), backed by Rangitaranga producer HK Prakash and directed by debutant Abhishek Manjunath, revolves around a local money heist orchestrated by an unlikely crew of dreamers. Billed as a mix of chaos and comedy, BOB is set to hit the theatres on November 28. The film also stars Gopal Krishna Deshpande, Sadhu Kokila, Sruthi Hariharan, and features cinematography by Abhishek Kasargod, and music by Judah Sandy.

Both Deekshith and Brinda Acharya reveal that they know this project arrives at an important moment for them.

For Deekshith, who has steadily built a reputation as the face of content-driven cinema, the question he battles most is simple. Is a commercial break important? "Yes, definitely in Kannada. Considering I am an actor who is looking for versatility with each role, I keep thinking where is the mistake. First we look for good opportunities. But in today’s conditions, box office collection is important, especially to go forward and to do my kind of cinema. Honestly, looking at my success rate in Telugu, I am not getting the same here. I am still searching for where I am going wrong with the Kannada audience."

The doubts sharpen when he speaks of Blink. "I do not know whether this will become controversial but had Blink released in other languages, it would have been a superhit. I can bet on that. When we have out-of-the-box cinema, by the time the film reaches the audience, it will not reach theatres. Even KTM, where I had four shades, everything was appreciated. Four years of conscious effort and nobody noticed my best performance."

Brinda Acharya, who is also hoping for a breakthrough, echoes the sentiment. "We do cinema for the audience. But somewhere, like Deekshith said, if a film does not reach people, you start wondering where you are going wrong. Cinema is a huge world. Some may like it and some may not. We are in the learning process. No actor can invent a formula that works for the audience. Even superstars do guess work. They keep trying."

In Bank of Bhagyalakshmi, Deekshith plays Kanaka, a robber who is anything but typical. "A heist story is usually treated more seriously. But this is more comedic. In this the heist takes place in a local bank. Playing Kanaka was challenging because I always look for the undercurrent in intense roles. This role is completely opposite. He is extreme in his behaviour and body language. I usually talk less in films, so this role was a challenge and one of the best scripts that came to me."

For Brinda, the charm lies in the character arc hidden in the chaos. "I have a prominent character to play. The character arc is something nobody can imagine. There are twists. Every character is represented by an animal and the reason behind it is shown metaphorically. My character, which is quite mature and serious, is represented through a parrot in the cage. My role is very different from what I have done before," she says, while Deekshith adds, "If people think Brinda’s character is helping us in the robbery based on the trailer, that is not the case. She is actually not with us."

Faith in newcomers is a question Deekshith faces often. "To all the films I have taken up, I have gone with debutant directors, whether Kannada or Telugu. Probably the energy matches. Only Pawan Wadeyar is an established name I am working with. I always work on character and improvisation. For this film, comedy timing is important. Kanaka is a show-off person, a village boy returning home from Bengaluru. His style is wearing flashy cowboy pants." He then adds, "Comedy demanded discipline. I worked hard. Usually my voice and personality suit intense characters, so this was a deliberate break. I took inputs from Usha Bhandari, who has been my mentor, and from Vishal, who plays an important role. I worked on the Tumkur dialect. I rehearsed dialogues while driving and even during bath. I improvised every day."

The film balances satire and entertainment. "I will not say it is a complete commercial cinema but it has the required elements in that space," says Deekshith. The actor continues, "The Girl Friend is hard hitting. But this is super entertaining. People from children to seventy-year-olds can watch." Deekshith is still learning how people want to see him on screen. "I don't want to be predictable. I want to be a complete actor. Audience will not expect one kind of cinema always."

Brinda feels the same. "I am happy but not content. I am still looking. A little greedy. When I watch a good film, I feel I should do a role like that. I am getting good roles but I want to do more. As for BOB, the character Kanaka is very attractive. We have exciting characters and content."

Too many characters surround the protagonists but Deekshith enjoys it. "Acting is reacting, and a film like this works when we are in the same equation. I am never insecure. I am ok with multi-starrers. Starting with Dia, or Dasara, my latest The Girl Friend, and an upcoming Shivarajkumar film and another yet-to-be-announced film, they are all multi-starrers. I am glad I am working with good actors. Even here in Bank of Bhagyalakshmai, many co-actors became friends," Deekshith concludes.