‘I felt Shiva 143 is the film I need to begin with’

Dheeren Ramkumar is the latest scion of the Rajkumar family to enter Sandalwood. The grandson of the matinee idol, and son of veteran actor Ramkumar, Dheeren joins an illustrious list of actors from the Rajkumar family, including Shivarajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Sriimurali, Vinay, Yuvarajkumar, and Dhanya Ramkumar. After multiple delays, Dheeren’s debut film, Shiva 143, is set to finally see the light of day this week.

Was Dheeren’s entry into the industry out of passion, or was it a case of seeing most of his family members being involved in cinema? “I always had a passion for cinema. I was brought up around cinema, and we always spoke about movies at home too. Growing up, I would juggle between the sets of my Grand Dad, my father, and my uncles. Once I completed my education, the passion just got affirmed. People around me always felt I was fit to be a hero. I earned my confidence after doing a short film during my college days,” he says.

Even though Dheeren comes from a long line of successful actors, he did come well prepared for the industry. “I trained in all aspects of being an actor. Once I decided on my debut, I concentrated in training for the role in Shiva 143, and took part in the acting workshops conducted by director Anil Kumar.”

There is no doubt that comparisons are abound for Dheeren, and the young actor is candid about being influenced by the films starring his family members. “A few people compare my features to my Granddad. Some say I speak like Shivanna mama and some believe I behave like Puneeth mama. All these comparisons come because of the surroundings I live in,” he says.

Shiva 143 is a rather interesting choice for a debut, and Dheeren delves into the reasoning behind choosing the adaptation of the Telugu film, RX 100. “Honestly, if the dubbing industry was as strong as today, I wouldn’t have picked up this film. Having said that, the subject is strong, and my role definitely has scope for acting. There are a lot of shades to Shiva. There is ruggedness, irritability, and innocence. I had so many things to showcase in one role, and I felt it would help to prove my acting abilities. The story kept haunting me, and I felt Shiva 143 is the film I need to begin with.”

Nowadays, it is not enough to just not act in a film. The promotions of a film are equally important. “Today, actors need a lot of preparation in shooting and handling the film’s promotions as well. The tradition of sticking posters still exists, and it should be utilised well. The language of cinema and promotions are ever-changing, and it is important to keep up with the trend,” he signs off.

‘I see Shivarajkumar’s traits in Dheeren especially in the action sequences’

After launching Sumanth Shailendra in Dilwale, director Anil Kumar will next kickstart the career of Dheeren Ramkumar in Shiva 143. “Coming from such a legendary family, there is bound to be an expectation from Dheeren, and being the director of his film, the pressure fell on me too,” says Anil Kumar, who decided to go with a cult script that gave a tough role to the debut actor.

Anil shares that the presence of Dheeren is what makes Shiva 143 a special film. The director reveals that keeping in mind the image of Dheeren, he has incorporated changes to the remake of RX 100, “So we brought in family values and changes to match the sensibilities of the Kannada audience, especially with the dialogues and screenplay. We have brought the comedy track of Sadhukokila and Chikkanna, which will come as a relief in this disturbing love story,” he says.

The filmmaker feels he saw Shivarajkumar’s traits in Dheeren’s performance, especially in the stunt sequences. “The first time Dheeren came to our office, he was clean shaved, and I felt that he wouldn’t fit the role in Shiva 143. So we had a workshop, and after three months of training, Dheeren became Shiva,” he says.

Made under the Jayanna Films banner, Shiva 143 stars Manvita Kamath, Charan Raj, Avinash, Shobraj, and Puneeth Rudranag.