<p>An alumnus of prestigious institutes like ‘Neenasam’ and the National School of Drama, Yashwant Shetty is a well-known actor in Kannada industry. Having made his film debut with ‘Jwalantham’, he is best known for his appearances in films like ‘Chowka’, ‘Samhaara’ and ‘KGF: Chapter 1’. </p>.<p>In a candid chat with <span class="bold">Rakshitha M N</span>, Yashwanth talks about his latest release ‘Soojidaara’, his upcoming projects and more.</p>.<h3 class="Question">You are always seen playing a negative role. ‘Soojidara’ sees you in a different light. How was the experience?</h3>.<p>The experience has been great. The storyline is also unique. The character I play faces a lot of identity crisis which gave me an opportunity to experiment more.</p>.<p>I agreed to ‘Soojidaara’ the minute I heard the script. Every character and scene is interlinked, which is a different approach in the Kannada industry. The climax of the film is unique.</p>.<h3 class="Question">What role do you like playing more— that of a villain or a hero?</h3>.<p>I was introduced to the industry as a villain. I think I do pretty good in that shade. Playing a villain provides an opportunity to explore different shades of the same character.</p>.<p>Heath Ledger is my inspiration; his ‘Joker’ is my all-time favourite character. Though he is not with us anymore, his work continues to inspire thousands of aspiring actors like me.</p>.<h3 class="Question">How did your interest in acting develop?</h3>.<p>I was always interested in acting. ‘Majestic’ and ‘Om’ are the films that made me take up acting. In college, we had our own theatre group; we practised and performed numerous plays, which further developed my passion. This was fuelled after joining Neenasam and National School of Drama. After coming back to Karnataka, ‘Jwalantham’ happened; the film was a big break to my film career. Opportunities have been pouring in since then.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Do acting schools help? Do students there have an advantage over those who don’t go to such schools?</h3>.<p>Theatre is in itself a learning place, but getting into an acting school sure helps. Though acting always interested me, I was a lot more confident after coming out of National School of Drama. So, actors who come from acting schools do have an added advantage.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Tell us about your upcoming projects.</h3>.<p>‘Aa Drishya’, ‘Salaga’, ‘Krishna Talkies’ and ‘Kaalankata’ are some of my upcoming projects. I am excited as I play a pivotal role in most of them.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Any advice to the upcoming actors?</h3>.<p>Well, my only advice to them is to stay calm and work with perseverance. Success never comes in a readymade format. It took me a while to make my place in the industry; ups and downs are a common part of this industry.</p>
<p>An alumnus of prestigious institutes like ‘Neenasam’ and the National School of Drama, Yashwant Shetty is a well-known actor in Kannada industry. Having made his film debut with ‘Jwalantham’, he is best known for his appearances in films like ‘Chowka’, ‘Samhaara’ and ‘KGF: Chapter 1’. </p>.<p>In a candid chat with <span class="bold">Rakshitha M N</span>, Yashwanth talks about his latest release ‘Soojidaara’, his upcoming projects and more.</p>.<h3 class="Question">You are always seen playing a negative role. ‘Soojidara’ sees you in a different light. How was the experience?</h3>.<p>The experience has been great. The storyline is also unique. The character I play faces a lot of identity crisis which gave me an opportunity to experiment more.</p>.<p>I agreed to ‘Soojidaara’ the minute I heard the script. Every character and scene is interlinked, which is a different approach in the Kannada industry. The climax of the film is unique.</p>.<h3 class="Question">What role do you like playing more— that of a villain or a hero?</h3>.<p>I was introduced to the industry as a villain. I think I do pretty good in that shade. Playing a villain provides an opportunity to explore different shades of the same character.</p>.<p>Heath Ledger is my inspiration; his ‘Joker’ is my all-time favourite character. Though he is not with us anymore, his work continues to inspire thousands of aspiring actors like me.</p>.<h3 class="Question">How did your interest in acting develop?</h3>.<p>I was always interested in acting. ‘Majestic’ and ‘Om’ are the films that made me take up acting. In college, we had our own theatre group; we practised and performed numerous plays, which further developed my passion. This was fuelled after joining Neenasam and National School of Drama. After coming back to Karnataka, ‘Jwalantham’ happened; the film was a big break to my film career. Opportunities have been pouring in since then.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Do acting schools help? Do students there have an advantage over those who don’t go to such schools?</h3>.<p>Theatre is in itself a learning place, but getting into an acting school sure helps. Though acting always interested me, I was a lot more confident after coming out of National School of Drama. So, actors who come from acting schools do have an added advantage.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Tell us about your upcoming projects.</h3>.<p>‘Aa Drishya’, ‘Salaga’, ‘Krishna Talkies’ and ‘Kaalankata’ are some of my upcoming projects. I am excited as I play a pivotal role in most of them.</p>.<h3 class="Question">Any advice to the upcoming actors?</h3>.<p>Well, my only advice to them is to stay calm and work with perseverance. Success never comes in a readymade format. It took me a while to make my place in the industry; ups and downs are a common part of this industry.</p>