Dhananjay: Badava Rascal is an honest attempt

Dhananjay, who started as a theatre artist, faced the camera for the first time for the short film, Jayanagar 4th block. His silver screen debut Director's Special was followed up with films that established him as a versatile hero. His first role as an antagonist in Tagaru became a turning point in his career. Today, the actor is also simultaneously in the nascent stages of becoming a pan-India star.

A lyricist by passion, the actor made his OTT debut with Rathnan Prapancha. He now holds a new responsibility as a producer with Badava Rascal. "It gives me great joy to explore a new department of cinema, and I find it interesting. Just doing the same thing again bores me. I like handling this new responsibility and pressure," he explains.

What exactly made him explore production first? "survival instinct," he replies, "Usually when an actor works for the dream of others, we are dependant on them. When they don't understand where we fit in and make films that don't match our interests, we end up being part of a bad cinema. Many times, we fail to understand the business. There are times getting remuneration is a problem by itself. These things made me take the plunge. Badava Rascal through our  Daali Pictures is an honest attempt, and we hope to win," he says.

Dhananjay shares that his team eased his pressure of being an actor and producer, for Badava Rascal, "I knew director Shankar Guru for a long time, and this helped him design an apt character for me. The actors and technicians (Amrutha Iyengar, Nagabhushan, Poornachandra Mysore, music director, Vasuki Vaibhav and cinematographer, Preetha Jayaram) all are my good friends, and I am glad that Badava Rascal brought all of us together."

He adds that everyone is celebrating the film as their own. "The audiences have been promoting our film in creative ways. Badava Rascal wouldn't have happened without the support of my friends who are doing everything to make sure the film reaches the people."

Badava Rascal, billed to be a romantic comedy entertainer, also features Rangayana Raghu in a prominent role.  The film distributed by KRG Studios is slated to release on December 24. Dhananjay, who has his hands busy with the promotions, has a message for his audiences. "The film is censored with a U/A and it is meant to be enjoyed with family and friends. I am sure every character will be relatable."