Darshan Thoogudeepa’s Kranti which was released in January reportedly had a 100-crore box office run. His previous outing Roberrt brought in 80 crores in 2021, a gigantic success amidst the second lockdown. The way Darshan’s films are received and the huge collections are symbolic of the success, but the actor observes that it wasn’t easy to reach here.
“When we made Majestic (2002), it earned around 30-40 lakhs,” says Darshan, referring to his debut film as a lead. “Now our films go for 40-50 crores.”
Financial success and superstardom aside, Darshan’s journey with cinema started when he was very young. Being the son of yesteryear actor Thoogudeepa Srinivas, he was exposed to the film industry very early. His father and his film career inspired Darshan to pursue acting.
"Whenever there was a shoot in Mysore, we used to send breakfast to the sets from our house. Some of the people from the set would come home like Dr Rajkumar and others. Every morning, I would see my father getting dressed up by the assistants or putting on makeup,” reminisces the actor as he explains how and when he first desired to be an artist.
Thoogudeepa Srinivas was widely popular in the Kannada industry and was known for his negative roles. He starred opposite Dr Rajkumar in many films, appearing as a villain along with other iconic actors such as Vajramuni and Doddanna.
“I firmly decided to be an artist the day my father passed away,” says Darshan. When he saw the huge crowd thronging to see his father, he decided what he wanted to do in his life. “Despite a bus strike that day, several people gathered to see my father. I decided that if I die, I should die like that. This is my motivation to become an artist and it will not change even in a hundred years.”