Birthday special: Watch these six iconic Darshan movies

It's no secret that Darshan is one of the most celebrated and popular mass heroes in Kannada cinema. The A-lister began his career as a leading man with Majestic and soon emerged as Sandalwood's resident 'Challenging Star' because of his charismatic personality and box office power. As Darshan turns 45 today, here is a look at six films that helped him consolidate his standing in the industry.

Majestic ( 2001)

'D Boss' played the role of an orphan who is raised by an unprincipled policeman in the P N Sathya-directed crime drama. His intense and raw performance helped the thrilling plot featuring romance and a twist reach its potential. Majestic did well at the box office, helping the then newcomer begin his career on a good note.

Namma Preethiya Ramu (2003)

Darshan experimented with his reel image pretty early in his career, taking up the role of a visually-challenged village singer in this offbeat drama which received critical acclaim for its effective presentation, co-starring Navya Natarajan as the female protagonist.

Porki (2010)

Porki, a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Pokiri, is regarded as one of the films that helped Darshan emerge as a synonym for commercial success. The actioner featured him in the role of a 'goon' and proved to be a treat for the mass audience. The star did justice to the action scenes courtesy of his impeccable body language. Porki was dubbed in Hindi as 'Main Hoon Wanted'.

Saarathi (2011)

Darshan delivered what some critics regard as a career-best performance in this K V Satya Prakash-produced romantic action drama. It featured a purely commercial storyline, which revolved around an autorickshaw driver, which gave the 'man of the masses' ample scope to showcase his abilities. Saarathi featured debutante Deepa Sannidhi as the female protagonist.

Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (2012)

The star pushed his limits as a performer when he headlined this ambitious period drama revolving around Indian revolutionary Sangolli Rayanna. Darshan infused new life to the larger-than-life character with his sincere performance, winning the Filmfare Award for 'Best Actor'. Director Naganna's magnum opus had a stellar cast that included Jaya Prada, Nikita Thukral and Avinash.

Yajamana (2019)

Yajamana, a classic example of commercial cinema with a message, featured Darshan in a 'desi' avatar and highlighted what happens when his character locks horns with a 'broker'. It opened to strong response at the box office and a volley of positive reviews. The film featured Rashmika Mandanna and Tanya Hope as the leading ladies.

Honourable mentions: Gaja, Bulbul, Roberrt, Tarak, and Chingari, Annavru