Grounded aspirations

Dhanveerrah may seem like any other young star, but what sets him apart is that his dreams are his calling and he is working towards their fruition, writes A Varsha Rao

A grand entry with loud music and loads of build-up...” debutante Dhanveerrah wants all of these and more on the big screen. He’s in love with the hero’s portrayal in cinema. With the release of his debut movie Bazaar, the soft-spoken Dhanveerah is living his dream to the hilt.

As the son of film producer Thimmegowda, one would expect Dhanveerrah to be completely at ease with all things cinema. But our conversation makes it evident that he’s like any other aspiring actor who is anxious about how the audience will react to his debut. “I’m just a little nervous?” he says before adding, “but I am confident, too!”

Growing up as a child who loved movies, Dhanveerrah says he always aspired to be an actor. “I have a theatre background as I did many plays. My family wanted me to pursue studies, but I wasn’t interested in it at all. So, I decided to take up acting seriously,” he reveals.

Paradigm shift

Directed by Simple Suni, Bazaar is about a ‘reversible’ love story set against the backdrop of pigeon racing. Talking about why he chose this movie as his debut, Dhanveerrah says, “As soon as I heard the script, I loved it. It’s a different genre, you would have heard the usual love stories, but Bazaar is about a ‘reversible’ love story, where the hero aspires to face failure in his love life. Sadhu Kokila’s character in the movie brainwashes me into thinking that a failure in love will be more enjoyable than love itself, so I set out to feel the same.”

Dhanveerrah isn’t formally trained in acting, but he insists that his theatre experience will hold him in good stead. For someone who’s used to live audiences, facing a camera shouldn’t be a big thing. “Initially I did get conscious while facing the camera, but Suni sir was very supportive and encouraging. Slowly, I got comfortable with the camera,” he says.

Raving about his director, Dhanveerrah says, “Suni sir created such a familial atmosphere on the sets that I forgot I was dealing with a reputed director. ”

For the romantic track Yeko Yeno in the film, Dhanveerrah had to develop eight-pack abs and had to go through an intense and gruelling training schedule. “We were shooting in Bangkok for this song and I didn’t drink water for almost nine days because my abs had to look toned. So, I would just sip a drop of water whenever I would get thirsty,” he says. Are you that passionate about working in films, I ask and he candidly replies, “I am getting launched as a hero so I have to stand out. So many people get launched in the industry and such efforts will help me make an impact on the audience.”

Dhanveerrah hesitates to put a finger on what will make him stand out in the industry. He wants to leave it to the discretion of the audience, he says. But upon further prodding, he says, “My acting skills.”

A unique bond

Apart from working on building his body, this young actor also worked really hard on developing a bond with pigeons. “The main preparation for this movie went into dealing with pigeons. For almost a month-and-a-half, I trained with pigeon trainers and learnt all about their profession. How they call their birds, how they hold them, and more. I learnt every minute detail to nail the character,” says Dhanveerrah, who believes this movie will wow the audiences simply because it’s so different from Suni’s usual fare.

His co-star, Aditi Prabhudeva, says Dhanaveerrah has worked really hard in this movie. “I used to feel bad for him while shooting the romantic song as he couldn’t even drink water. I would feel guilty about eating in his presence.” Dhanveerrah aspires to be a true-blue commercial hero and work in mass and family-oriented films.