Dhananjaya (actor)
Kalenahalli Adaviswamy Dhananjaya (born 23 August 1986), also known as Daali, is an Indian actor, lyricist and film producer known for his work in Kannada cinema. He made his acting debut in Director's Special in 2013 for which he won the best debut actor award at the 3rd SIIMA Awards.[1] He turned producer through the film, Badava Rascal.[2] He has also occasionally penned columns for leading Kannada newspapers.
Dhananjaya | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kalenahalli Adaviswamy Dhananjaya 23 August 1986 Arsikere,Kalenahalli, Karnataka, India |
| Other names | Daali |
| Alma mater | Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
Dhananjaya got the major breakthrough in the film Tagaru (2018) directed by Duniya Soori for his performance as a menacing villain. He is now popularly addressed as Daali - the character name in the film.[3] Dhananjaya has also played roles in films in other languages such as Telugu[4] and Tamil.
Early life and family
Dhananjaya was born on 23 August 1986.[5] Dhananjaya excelled in studies and had secured top marks for the whole of Hassan District once when he was in 7th standard and then again in 10th standard.[6] He says he grew up watching Dr. Rajkumar movies and hence he started acting in dramas, mono-acting competitions and street plays while he was still in school.[7]
Dhananjaya then moved to Mysore for higher studies and having completed his PUC in Marimallappa College, he secured an engineering seat in one of the reputed engineering colleges in Mysore, SJCE.[8][9] He even got a job in a software company, Infosys. However, he started taking acting more seriously and joined an amateur theatre group called GPIER which was headed and mentored by a senior Rangayana artist named Mime Ramesh.[8][9] He was also recognized and mentored by Germany theatre artist Christian Stückl in Germany.[10][11] During one of his performances in a drama, he was recognised by popular Kannada director Guruprasad and was offered a lead role in a feature film.[9] Thus began his career in Sandalwood.
Film career
Early years (2013–2018)
Dhananjaya appeared in a Kannada short film on YouTube called Jayanagar 4th Block which has over 2.5 million views as of 2022.[12] Dhananjaya was offered a lead role in Guruprasad's feature film Director's Special.[13] The film took three years in the making and was finally released in 2013 to mixed and negative responses at the box office. Dhananjaya was lauded for his performance and won the best debut actor award at the 3rd SIIMA Awards for the same. Many prominent filmmakers approached him for the roles in their films. He was then cast in A. P. Arjun's next film Rhaatee opposite Shruthi Hariharan under musician V. Harikrishna's debut production. His next was Preetham Gubbi's film Boxer, produced under Jayanna Films banner, which brought him wide accolades. He was known for his fit boxer's body, which he had achieved by rigorous training.[14][15] He was then offered a role by National award-winning director T. S. Nagabharana for the film Allama which is based on the life of 12th century saint poet Allama Prabhu. Dhananjaya underwent harsh training to master the musical instrument Mridanga and also the classical dance for the role and received great reviews for his performance. Although his movies did not make a big impact on the box office collection, he constantly received good reviews from the audience and critics for his acting skills.
Daali and after (2018–present)
His biggest breakthrough came when he was offered a negative role named "'Daali" opposite Shiva Rajkumar In Tagaru directed by Duniya Suri. Director Suri has shared that he was a bit hesitant to offer negative role to Dhananjaya as he was always playing good deed doing lead (or hero) roles in his previous movies and was pleasantly surprised when he accepted the offer.[16] The film opened with very good reviews and was declared a huge hit in terms of box office collection. Dhananjaya's acting as a menacing villain won him accolades across the film fraternity, critics and the audience.[17][18] The role earned him nicknames such as "Nataraakshasa", "Nata bhayanakara", "Daali"[3] etc.,. He is currently one of the most sought-after actors who is seen as a capable lead to play both antagonist and protagonist roles. After this movie, he has played many roles with leading actors in the Kannada film industry such as Darshan in Yajamana, Puneeth Rajkumar in Yuvarathna and Duniya Vijay in Salaga as well as paving the way to receive offers for films in other languages.[19]
Producer, lyricist and a writer & Director
Riding on the success of his acting career in Sandalwood, Dhananjaya has set up his own production house Daali Pictures named after his popular character Daali.[20] Badava Rascal - A Kannada film, will be marking Dhananjaya's entry into the journey as a producer under his home banner.[21] The film has the production part and is due for release soon.[22] According to recent announcements Dhananjaya is set to produce second film named Head Bush under his home banner Daali Pictures.[23] The film based on the life-story of Bangalore's infamous underworld don - Jayaraj.[24]
Dhananjaya has also penned for songs in movies that he has starred in as well as other indie films.[25] The upcoming Kannada film named Orchestra - a first production venture by musician Raghu Dixit being one of his first as a lyricist in Kannada film industry.[26][27] He has also written multiple songs for his upcoming movie Badava Rascal among which one of them was released recently and was a huge hit.[28]
Dhananjaya often writes columns in Kannada newspapers choosing topics such as social issues and human values.[29][30]
Filmography
| Denotes films that have not yet been released |
All films are in Kannada unless noted otherwise.
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Director's Special | Dhananjaya | Debut Film | |
| 2014 | Jayanagar 4th Block | Himself | Actor and Story-writer | [31] |
| 2015 | Rhaatee | Raja | ||
| Boxer | Raja | [14][15] | ||
| 2016 | Jessie | Jessie | [32] | |
| Badmaash | Vijay | [33] | ||
| 2017 | Allama | Allama Prabhu | [34] | |
| Eradane Sala | [35] [36] | |||
| Happy New Year | RJ Danny | |||
| 2018 | Tagaru | Daali | [37][3] | |
| Bhairava Geetha | Bhairava | Kannada-Telugu Bilingual Film | ||
| Life Jothe Ondh Selfie | Karthik | Special Appearance | ||
| 2019 | Yajamana | Mittai Soori | [38] | |
| 2020 | Popcorn Monkey Tiger | Tiger Seena | [39] | |
| 2021 | Pogaru | Dhananjay | [40] | |
| Yuvarathnaa | Antony Joseph | [41] | ||
| Salaga | Samrat | [42] | ||
| Rathnan Prapancha | Rathnakara | [43] | ||
| Pushpa: The Rise | Jolly Reddy | Telugu Film | [44] | |
| Badava Rascal | Shankar | Also producer | [45] | |
| 2022 | Twenty One Hours | Srikanth | [46] | |
| Bairagee | Karna | [45] | ||
| Monsoon Raaga | Katte | [45] | ||
| Thothapuri | Narayana Pillai | [47] | ||
| Head Bush | M. P. Jayaraj | Also producer | [48] | |
| Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda | Krishan (Heroshima) | [49] | ||
| 2023 | Gurudev Hoysala | Gurudev Hoysala | Dhananjaya's 25th film | [50] |
| Zebra | TBA | Filming; Telugu Film | [51] | |
| Pushpa 2: The Rule | Jolly Reddy | Filming; Telugu Film | ||
| TBA | Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku | TBA | Completed; Tamil Film | [52][53] |
| Uttarakaanda | TBA | Pre-production | [54][55] |
As lyricist
| Year | Song | Movie | Music Director | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Udupi Hotelu" | Badava Rascal | Vasuki Vaibhav | |
| 2022 | "Habibi Habibi" | Head Bush | Charan Raj | |
| 2023 | "Maadappa" | Orchestra Mysuru | Raghu Dixit | |
| "Sulla Chandira" | ||||
| "Nadiyondu" | ||||
| "Dum Idre Hodi Nanna" |
As producer
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Badava Rascal | |
| 2022 | Head Bush | |
| 2023 | Tagaru Palya | [56] |
Awards
| Film Title | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director's Special | 3rd SIIMA Awards | Best Male Debutant | Won | [57] |
| Allama | 65th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actor (Critics) | Won | [58] |
| Basavaratna Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
| Tagaru | Zee Kannada Hemmeya Kannadiga Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |
| 66th Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actor – Kannada | Won | [59] | |
| 8th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor in a Negative Role | Won | [60] | |
| Popcorn Monkey Tiger | 9th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor – Kannada | Won | [61] |
| Salaga | 10th SIIMA Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Kannada | Nominated | |
| 67th Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actor – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| Badava Rascal | Best Actor – Kannada | Won | [62] | |
| 10th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor – Kannada | Nominated | [63][64] | |
| Yuvarathnaa | Best Actor in a Negative Role – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| not applicable | Best sensation of Kannada cinema | Won |
References
- ^ "SIIMA 2013 winners list". SIIMA Official Site.
- ^ "Dhananjay's Badava Rascal to wrap up with climax and song sequence". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "People already call Dhananjaya, Daali". Times of India.
- ^ "Bhairava Geetha Telugu Movie Review". 123telugu.com. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- ^ "Team 'Ratnan Prapancha' passes on birthday wishes to Dhananjaya in its own quirky style". The Times of India. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "SSLC Topper Dhananjay". Public TV. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjaya childhood picture". Vijay Karnataka. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Techie turned Actor". DNA India. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ a b c "Actor Dhananjaya turns boxer - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay took acting lessons in Germany - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay's going back to his theatre roots!". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Jayanagar 4th Block ( a kannada short film ) - YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Software to Sandalwood: A techie's dream come true
- ^ a b Actor Dhananjaya turns boxer
- ^ a b Preetham and Dhananjaya to team up for Boxer
- ^ "Dhananjay accepted Taguru's villain role while on treadmill- The New Indian Express". cms.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Tagaru review: Shivrajkumar's gangsta flick fall into the 'classics' category, Suri style". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Blockbuster Tagaru's remake rights sold to director Muthaiah". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjaya signs films in multiple south Indian languages". The News Minute. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ NewsKarnataka (23 August 2019). "Dhananjay turns producer with 'Badava Rascal'". NewsKarnataka. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay's first production venture 'Badava Rascal' to release on September 24". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Actor Dhananjaya announces release date of 'Badava Rascal'". The News Minute. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay takes over the production of Head Bush". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Head Bush shoot to begin from August 9 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay turns lyricist for Hariprriya's D/o Parvathamma". Cinema Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay writes lyrics - Kannada News". IndiaGlitz.com. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Lyrics are not things that can be bought over-the-counter: Dhananjay". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ R, Sumit. "Daali Dhananjay's Udupi Hotelu Song From Badava Rascal Is A Hit - Kanlish News : Karnataka - Latest Kannada Breaking News Today, Headlines, Movies, Fashion, Political, Sports News And Entertainment Channel". Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "ಮಾಡುವ ನೀಡುವ ಕಾಯುವ ನಿಜಗುಣವಿದ್ದೆಡೆ". Vijayavaani. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "ನಮ್ಮೊಳಗಿನ ಶಿವ". Vijaya Karnataka (in Kannada). Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ Jayanagar IV Block comes alive in film
- ^ "'This Will Be A First For Kannada Cinema': Pawan Wadeyar About 'Jessie'". Desimartini. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "'Badmaash will mirror politics'- The New Indian Express". cms.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "A perfect contrast". Deccan Herald. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay's Eradane Sala with Mentor". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ SM, Shashiprasad (4 March 2017). "Eradanesala movie review: Love is where the Mother is". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay back with negative shades as Daali". Cinema Express. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ S.M, SHASHIPRASAD (1 March 2019). "Yajamana movie review: It's a fan-tastic action thriller". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Daali goes bald for 'Suri Popcorn Monkey Tiger'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Dhananjay: I am an actor first and then a hero or villain". Cinema Express. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "ಪುನೀತ್ 'ಯುವರತ್ನ' ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಡಾಲಿ ಧನಂಜಯ್ ಎಂಟ್ರಿ". Vijaya Karnataka (in Kannada). 13 February 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Duniya Vijay-Dhananjaya in Salaga - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Dhananjay to headline Rohith Padaki's Rathnan Prapancha | Cinemaexpress". Cinema Express. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ "Pushpa: Kannada star Dhananjay to play a crucial role in Allu Arjun's film". India Today. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Sharadhaa, A. (23 August 2021). "It is not good to sit idle, especially when good subjects come your way: Kannada actor Dhananjay". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "The first look of Dhananjaya starrer Twenty One Hours released online". The Times of India. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Director Vijayaprasad is the reason I chose Totapuri: Dhananjay". Cinema Express. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Dhananjay to play MP Jayaraj, Bengaluru's first underworld don - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ "Dhananjay, Aditi Prabhudeva to star in Once Upon a Time in Jamaaligudda". Cinema Express. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Dhananjay's 25th film 'Hoysala' gets a release date". The New Indian Express. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ "Satyadev-Daali Dhananjaya's next titled Zebra". Cinema Express. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku Teaser Announcement". Twitter. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku - Official Teaser | Vikram Prabhu, Vani Bhojan | Dhananjaya | Karrthik Adwait, retrieved 27 June 2022
- ^ "Dhananjaya's first look in Uttarakaanda revealed". Times of India. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Dhananjaya on his path to a Pan-Indian film | Interview With Kairam Vaashi (in Kannada), retrieved 27 March 2023
- ^ "Nagabhushana to play lead in Tagaru Palya". Times of India. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Malaysia to host South Indian International Movie Awards next month". thestar.com. 14 August 2014.
- ^ "Winners of the 65th Jio Filmfare Awards (South) 2018". Filmfare. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ "Winners of the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "SIIMA Awards 2019 full winners list". Times Now. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "Awards 2021". SIIMA. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "Winners Of The Filmfare Awards South 2022 - Kannada". Filmfare Awards. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "SIIMA 2022: ಅಪ್ಪುಗೆ ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ ನಟ- ಆಶಿಕಾ ರಂಗನಾಥ್ಗೆ ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ ನಟಿ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ; ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಕಂಪ್ಲೀಟ್ ಲಿಸ್ಟ್" [SIIMA 2022: Best Actress Award for Best Actor for Appu- Ashika Ranganath; Here's the complete list] (in Kannada). ವಿಜಯ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise Leads SIIMA Nominations; Check Full List Here". News18. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
External links
- Dhananjaya at IMDb
- Dhananjay Rediff interview