Darshan has done it again. The ‘Box Office Sultan’ of Sandalwood, whose last few films have underperformed has again roared in box office with ‘Jaggu Dada’. The comedy-action film, which has been produced and directed by Mumbai based Raghavendra Hegde under R9 Entertainment banner has opened to excellent response. According to director, the film has collected Rs 12.60 crore in the first weekend.
Darshan in ‘Jaggu Dada’
This is a big amount for a Kannada film. It is also Darshan’s highest ever first weekend. The film did so well even after films like ‘Godhi Banna Sadharna Maikattu’, ‘Thithi’, ‘U Turn’ and ‘Karava’ are performing well in the state. Darshan faced some personal problems in his life recently. ‘Jaggu Dada’ also opened to mixed responses from critics, however this has not stopped his hardcore fans to make the film a huge success. Made on a budget of 18 crores, the film has recovered 40 percent of it’s investment through satellite and Hindi dubbing rights. With excellent first weekend collections, the film has also already got in profit zone.
Speaking about Darshan, director Raghavendra Hegde says, ” I was initially said that Darshan will give problems to producer. They warned me not to work with him. But I wanted to work with him and offered him the script. Darshan liked the script and agreed to work. During filming, we faced many problems. But Darshan stood like a rock with me. He is so helpful. He helps so many film workers. He will get upset if I reveal more. He likes to keep his charitable image as a secret. I am really lucky to work with such a big superstar in my debut film.”
So what does Darshan have that his loyal fans stay with him in whichever position he is in? It’s his mass action avatar. Darshan is known to play the role of protector in hardcore action masala films, which was the norm in 90’s. Nowadays we see hardly any big stars doing hardcore action films. He has a huge fan base in B and C centres. This has helped him to get decent collections even if film crashes in A centres. Several of his films like ‘Ambarisha’ and ‘Viraat’ were out of theatres in cities after first week, however in towns and villages, the film had a longer run.
Darshan is also known for his helping nature. Starting his career as a light man in Sandalwood, he rose to become one of the biggest star in Sandalwood. So he knows the problems of film workers. He is known to help many film personalities. His close friends swear by his helping nature. He has helped many people gain foothold in films. Whether it is V Harikrishna or Ravi Varma, Darshan is said to have supported them in huge way. He also helps the poor people in distress. This has created a Robinhood image for him, like Salman Khan has in Bollywood and Rajinikanth has in Kollywood.
Speaking about Darshan, Raj, an assistant director says, ” Darshan sir is a very good person. His films may or may not be good. But he has a loyal fan base, who will watch the film. To be honest, none of his recent films have had excellent content, but still they have managed to do decent business. If he acts in another good content film like ‘Saarathi’ and ‘Krantiveer Sangolli Rayanna’, I am sure of the film becoming an industry hit.”
Vikram, a hardcore fan of Darshan says, “Darshan is the best. There are so many people who want to bring him down by spreading false rumours about him. But his fans will always stay with him. He is true superstar and we hope he acts in more films every year.”
Darshan is said to have his call sheets booked for next few years. His upcoming films are ‘Chakravarthy’, Milana Prakash’s next, Dinakar Thoogadeep’s ‘Sarvantrayami’ and B Suresh’s production venture. He is also said to have agreed to act in comedian Bullet Prakash’s debut production venture. With interesting line up, he is sure to entertain his fans in future.
However there is a word of warning from a producer, who does not want his name to be revealed. He says that Darshan should start looking for good content and not just act for sake of friendship. He feels that Darshan has been used by certain people, which is affecting Darshan’s image. He also wants Darshan to concentrate more on family entertainers.
Darshan has risen like phoenix with ‘Jaggu Dada’. The film may not be considered his best work, but it has still managed to win his fans heart. We hope Darshan concentrates more on good content so that his fans as well as neutral audience start enjoying his films.
