No ‘Monkeying’ around

Not one to dally about his most popular characters of Daali or Seena, Dhananjaya would rather break stereotypes and let his versatility shine, writes Pooja Prabbhan

Daali might have buoyed his confidence as an actor who’s capable of shouldering high-intensity roles, but actor Dhananjaya knew that Monkey Seena was powerful enough to trailblaze and supersede expectations — for action crime dramas in Sandalwood.

Set against a backdrop of the underworld and doused in the rawness of the mafia and its gore, Popcorn Monkey Tiger has managed to roar through the theatres across Karnataka. “There’s a philosophical side to Monkey Seena, and I relate to that attribute of the character as I do tend to think a lot about life in general,” begins Dhananjaya, who believes that the biggest challenge while filming for the role was to break an image.

The intriguing posters of the movie had egged fans on to draw a common link — between Daali and Seena. But, the actor believes it’s unfair to draw similarities. “Monkey Seena has become a trend (laughs), but I did expect people to draw comparisons between Daali and Monkey Seena. Despite both the characters being highly intense by nature, there’s zero similarity otherwise. Both the roles might be dark or dreaded in their own ways, the characters are very different in terms of their thought processes and philosophies in life and how the roles have been essayed. It’s always a challenge to make and break an image, and Monkey Seena has broken that.”

Speaking narratives

Stoked that the movie has managed to create a stir since the word go, Dhanajaya believes nothing compares to an honest narrative. “With director Suri, the focus has always been on delivering real content. Irrespective of the theme or its dark nature, there’s a sense of honesty in storytelling that always works. We have managed to do that, I guess. The movie draws a strong reference to the middle class, and it touches the pulse of the audience. I hail from a village too, so there’s a sense of understanding as to what the honest cine-goer expects,” enthuses Dhananjaya.

Driven by instincts

Unlike most actors who invest considerable time into training, Dhananjaya likes to go by instinct and is largely a director’s actor. “I usually don’t take much time to prepare with Suri, more so because of the rapport we share. We have been friends for a while, there are detailed discussions about the role on and off the set. I prefer spending time with the cast, preparing myself mentally for a role. Being spontaneous, with a streak of uncertainty, drives me to take on dark, difficult roles. I didn’t have to undergo drastic physical transformation for this role, but it was challenging to follow through the gradual transformation of this character over the course of 6-7 years as shown in the movie.”

Enthusing how the movie has been staged differently, Dhananjaya adds, “Actors and directors get better with time, and no two movies irrespective of the genre, are the same. The teaser evokes mixed responses and managed to arouse a great deal of interest. We asked moviegoers to watch the movie without any expectations — and they’ve loved Seena. It has a different narrative, and can’t be labelled as either black or white. I think there’s a certain beauty in it.”

Despite the film not being helmed by big stars, the movie has managed to make waves. Speaking of which, Dhananjaya says, “We had a lot of fun, especially because most of us were non-actors. It’s always a great feeling to work with freshers because they are quite raw and natural. The movie might revolve around Seena, but all the characters have been well-received by the audience. No two actors being the same dimensions to the film, so roping in fresh talent gave
the movie a more creative spin from the raw material. From the technicians to cast, there was a lot of enthusiasm and energy.”

What works...

Whilst it’s safe to say that Dhananjaya has developed an innate flair for dark characters, the software engineer-turned-actor believes it’s unfair to stereotype. “Definitely, these roles are working in my favour. I honestly don’t know the real reason…I wouldn’t say aggressive characters are my forte as yet, because I’d like to believe that actors
are naturally versatile. For instance, Jayanagar 4th block became viral, and the short film was loved by many as well. But, it feels good to be loved for such characters and most importantly, for things to click,” he states.

At 34, actor Dhananjaya believes that it has been a bumpy ride but well worth it. “It took me a good 8-10 years before gaining recognition as an actor, and I’m grateful for all the
appreciation that was showered on me. But, if there was one thing that kept me going through the initial struggles, it has got to be my instincts,” he adds.