After 50 films, Darshan says he likes to stay at zero

Darshan’s birthday falls on February 16, but the celebrations have already begun. The Challenging Star’s house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar is brimming with festive energy, with towering cutouts of the star placed at different spots. 

Like every year, this year, too, the actor has set aside this day for his fans who gather in thousands. They come from all corners of Karnataka and gather at midnight on February 16, waiting for their turn to greet the star. 

Darshan says, “Over the years, the most precious gift I have received is the affection of fans. I wait every year with the same excitement to meet them, and they feel the same way too. So nothing makes me happier than meeting my fans and I cross all barriers to see them face-to-face. My birthday is their day.”

He says that he will be satisfied only when he can give something back to the public. “Whether it is through cinema or otherwise, I have to give something back to them, and this can be done even without entering politics,” says the actor, who has not yet planned how to do this. “Ele mare kaayi thara enadru maadbeku. I want contrubite to the soceity without blowing the trumpet,” he tells Cinema Express.  

On professional front, Darshan has clocked 21 years in the industry. It has been 16 years since Majestic, the film that brought him into the limelight. But the 50-films-old actor says that his journey has just begun. “Zero is a number that no one wants and I want to stay there. I don’t want to be in the race,” he says.

The actor, who has completed shooting for the epic drama Munirathna’s Kurukshetra, has to now dub for the film. He is starting on the Pon Kumar-directorial next, produced by Shylaja Nag and B Suresha. The title launch for this film has been planned for his birthday, and Darshan will begin shooting for it from February 19.

Meanwhile Darshan has already charted out his projects for 2018. “My next will be with producer Sandesh Nagraj,” he says of the film to be directed by MD Sridhar. The latter has worked with the actor on two films - Porki and Bulbul. 

Following this, he will be working on a project with Majestic's producer. “I will be teaming up with Ramamurthy for a film, the details of which will be revealed at the right time,” he signs off.