Dhananjaya addresses nepotism debate about launching Nenapirali Prem’s daughter

Not long ago, Daali Dhananjaya announced his third home production, which, interestingly, does not have him in the lead. Instead, the film, called Tagarupalya, has his close pal Nagabhushana as the protagonist. All was well with the project, until Dhananjaya announced the leading lady of the film, and then all hell broke loose, as it ignited a nepotism debate once again. Dhananjaya was introducing Nenapirali Prem’s daughter Amrutha in the film and netizens could not fathom how the actor-producer, who has seen his fair share of ups and downs and struggled a lot to get where he is today, could support nepotism.

During the promotions of his next, Gurudev Hoysala, Dhananjaya addressed the issue during an interview with an online platform, wondering why audiences are overlooking the rest of the cast and crew and how many non-filmi people were getting a platform with Tagarupalya. On that note, the actor also asked whether the whole nepotism debate meant that even if a star kid is genuinely talented, they should not be allowed into the industry. According to Dhananjaya, the film industry is such that it has place for everyone, including those who come from such supposedly privileged backgrounds. He reasoned that star kids may have an easier entry into the industry, but that they will be able to survive only if they have talent.

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Dhananjaya added that the intention behind his production house remains to give a platform to new talent, which is what he has done and will continue to do, whether it is director Shankar with Badava Rascal, Shoonya with Head Bush and Umesh with Tagarupalya. The suggestion to try out Prem’s daughter came from the team, he says, adding that he was quite surprised when the casting took such a turn.

Meanwhile, Dhananjaya is currently bang in the middle of promotions of Gurudev Hoysala, which will be in theatres on March 30. The film, directed by N Vijay, has the actor in cop mode, with a narrative set in Belagavi.