Exclusive! I will start shooting for my debut as hero, Upadhyaksha, only in January, says Chikkanna

Since the pandemic broke out, Kannada cinema’s funny man Chikkanna has been spending more time back home in Mysuru. “I live alone in Bengaluru; what will I do when there is no work and nowhere to go? So, I decided to head back home and have been here most of the time. While here, I started a goat farm, purely as a breeder. In fact, before I got into films, I used to work as a mason, and I put my skill set to use at the farm,” he says.

The actor would then return to Bengaluru each time lockdown relaxations came in force to complete his acting commitments. “There are quite a few films that I had finished before the pandemic and since then, which are ready for release, but personally, I am looking forward to Rider with Nikhil Kumar, which is our latest collaboration after Seetharama Kalyana, and Madhagaja with Sriimurali. The latter, I think, has been locked for a December 3 release, so promotions will begin shortly,” says Chikkanna, who is looking at spending the Deepavali weekend with family in Mysuru and then returning to Bengaluru.

The actor, who also has a role in late Puneeth Rajkumar's last film James, is heart-broken at the turn of events. "Puneeth's death really makes you question the value of leading a clean, fit lifestyle. If it doesn't make any difference, you might as well live your life and have fun as long as you can," he reasons. 

What about his debut as protagonist, which has been on the cards for a while? “Upadhyaksha is a film that, were it not for the pandemic, would have been ready long ago. Directed by Chandra Mohan, with whom I did Double Engine, the film is a comedy set in Mandya, wherein I play a villager. The narrative, though, has several twists and turns and then takes my character on a journey to places like Darjeeling and Munnar, among others. This is a story that fits me as an artiste perfectly, which is why I took it up and not because I was looking at doing a lead role. I will head to the set of this film in January next year,” says Chikkanna.