Darshan — an enigmatic star who lost his sheen

Darshan, son of Kannada villain Thoogudeepa Srinivas, rose to stardom but faced controversies, dividing opinions in the industry.

Thoogudeepa Srinivas was a fiery villain on the big screen from the 1960s till the 1980s. However, not many knew of his son’s cinema dreams until the success of Majestic in 2001. Hemanth Kumar, who entered the film industry with the screen name Darshan, became an overnight star. After his first few movies, Darshan outgrew the shadow of his famous father and charted a career built on being a hero, with a marked lower middle class following.

Darshan started as a down-to-earth artist striving hard for success, with an inspiring personality, in contrast to the actor’s current reputation. The actor’s over two-decade-old career, since those initial years, has been marred by controversies, the biggest one being his recent arrest in connection with the murder of one of his fans from Chitradurga district.

“Right after the success of Majestic, Darshan was called for a function. He spoke about encouraging new entrants and requested the industry to help them financially. He was humble and didn’t think of himself as a huge star,” recollects S. Shyam Prasad, author and film critic.

“Darshan had everything to be a superstar,” says a senior Kannada film writer on condition of anonymity. Towering at 6.3 ft with a broad physique, he has a terrific screen presence. However, after cementing his place in the industry, he began to appear in the news for the wrong reasons.

Darshan’s off-screen image took a huge hit in 2011 when he was arrested for assaulting his wife, Vijayalakshmi. The incident was a turning point in Darshan’s career, notes the Kannada writer. “Sarathi released on the back of the domestic abuse incident and went on to become a massive blockbuster. It was clear for Darshan that no matter what, his fans won’t desert him.”

Even as he basked in this unmatched love from fans, Darshan — upset by the coverage of his arrest — declared an immense dislike for the media. Television channels unofficially banned him, but the superstar remained unperturbed as he had his fans to fall back on. As per industry insiders, the entire episode was the starting point of Darshan’s “I-don’t-care” attitude.

Mostly playing an action hero or an upright police officer, getting caught in an image trap did not bother him as his die-hard fans expected nothing more from him. A veteran producer says of how “dependable” his fans are, “Star films are mostly dependable. But only Darshan’s films manage to do at least minimum profit even if they are poor.”