The title ‘Challenging Star’ itself narrates the path traveled by actor Darshan all these years as an actor in the Sandalwood Industry. Let’s rewind his timeline and look into his progression both personally and professionally. Darshan is the stage name given to Hemanth Kumar who was a son of a veteran Kannada actor, Thoogudeepa Srinivas, and Meena. The passion for acting and cinema has obviously traveled from his father, which made Darshan to enroll himself in a theater in 1995 to learn the nuances of acting. He then committed to work as a light man and then an assistant cameraman to an acclaimed cinematographer B.C.Gowrishankar. His initial stages showcased his conviction to build a career by himself and not under the shadow of his father’s.
Enroute to ‘Challenging Star’ & King of Box Office
Darshan accepted small roles in soap operas and some of the big screen movies. It gave confidence to him and shed away the reluctance of facing the camera. His major breakthrough came after the 2002 movie ‘Majestic’ in which he played a role of an intimidating gangster and later showcased the variation in emotions. This movie became a massive hit with 100 days of theatrical runs in most of the theatres across the state, and this success registered him as a trailblazing commercial hero in the Kannada Film Industry. It is followed by the back-to-back chartbuster movies including Kariya (2003), Kalasipalya (2004), Gaja (2008), Sarathi (2011) & Bulbul (2013).
Rise of D Boss
All the above-mentioned movies of his led to the formation of a loyal fan base and a mass action-hero image that helped him to dominate the Kannada Cinema for more than two decades and became known as the ‘Challenging Star’ and ‘D-Boss’. His ability to portray the roles by balancing both action-packed and emotional sequences transformed him as one of the highest paid actors in Sandalwood. His 50th movie ‘Yajamana’ was released in 2019 and it turned out to be the biggest box office opener and a 100-day theatrical run.
The whole Indian Cinema was shaken by an unfortunate pandemic called ‘Covid-19’ and the theatrical business was struggling post that. But actor Darshan’s ambitious project ‘Kranti’ that got released in 2023 and the attempt to revive the grappling Kannada industry from the vortex of pandemic was moderately positive. Although the movie received mixed reviews, the word of good mouth has been showered over him for his dedication to Kannada Cinema.
Lost Glory and the Legal Battles of a Superstar
Despite his surpassing triumph as an actor, and producer, his fame from the silver screen was marred by an unfortunate legal battle and controversies that arose during 2011 and in 2024. Actor Darshan tied his knot to Vijayalakshmi, who is a relative of his in 2003. His relationship with her became more strained and it even came to the spotlight when he was allegedly arrested for assaulting his wife. This issue made a huge impact among the fans, but later it got resolved and he was released on bail.
'Toxic’ starring Yash aims far with Bilingual Filming – Kannada and EnglishThe biggest blow to his career was the accusation for his involvement in the murder of his 33 year old fan named Renukaswamy who was from Chitradurga. It all began when the late Renukaswamy who had been sending offensive messages to actress Pavithra Gowda who is said to be close to Darshan. This continued for a few days and it led to the abduction of Renukaswamy by actor Darshan and his associates. Based on the given reports, he was assaulted by the actor in a shed located in Bengaluru and it is said to be the cause of his death too. On 9 June 2024, the cadaver of Renukaswamy was found near a drain in Sumanahalli.
After the comprehensive investigation, actor Darshan, Pavitra Gowda and some of his associates were arrested for paying others to take the blame. They were taken into judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Jail and in October 2024, he was granted interim bail for a few weeks after considering his health issues. And in December 2024, Karnataka High Court issued a regular bail along with the other accused. But the final verdict is still not yet given.
Actor Darshan’s Upcoming Project Post this controversy, many begin to distance themselves from him but his friends from the Kannada industry and ardent fans back him by showcasing their love by contributing food and shelter to underprivileged children and people in his name. And the recent buzz, regarding the kick off of the shoot of the movie ‘Devil: The Hero’ directed by Prakash has made his fans happy.
