PremiumNimma Vasthugalige Neeve Javaabdaararu’s Dileep Raj on why his career never really took off
Hailed as one of the Kannada film industry’s underrated talents, Dileep Raj has been an actor for nearly 2 and a half decades, but the opportunities have been few and far between.
Last Updated: 04.07 PM, Jan 09, 2025
When Orchestra, Mysuru! released in early 2023, one of the standout performances in the film was that of Dileep Raj, with critics and audiences unanimously praising him for his portrayal as the lead singer of an orchestra troupe. It’s taken Dileep 2 years to get another release to his credit, with Nimma Vasthugalige Neeve Javaabdaararu, which hits theatres for Sankranti 2025 on January 10.
As an artiste, I have not got the platforms I deserve: Dileep Raj
In a promotional interview of the film for PRK Audio, Dileep spoke about the lack of opportunities in his nearly 2-and-a-half-decade-old career. For the bundle of talent that the actor is, he should, ideally, have had more than the 30-odd films he has done so far. What gives? “I have often wondered why I have not got offers commensurate with my capabilities as an actor. When I see other actors and the projects they are doing, it bothers me that I have not got the opportunity to do such work. As an artiste, it huts that I have not got the platforms I deserve, but what is worse is that I have not been able to identify the reason for this,” says Dileep.
The actor reckons that if he knew for certain what is holding him back, he could work towards rectifying that. “There are many roles done by other actors that I felt I could have done a far better job at. And yet, these roles were never offered to me. Similarly, when I see great performances, there’s a tad sense of jealousy too that I could not do the role. It’s come to a stage that I am worried I will forget that I am an actor,” he adds.
Dileep adds that throughout his career, filmmakers that he worked with have been full of praise for his talent and wondered why he was not getting more work. But these same filmmakers have never returned to collaborate with him a second time. “Do they not think of me while casting or do I not suit the characters in their films? I don’t know. I don’t question their choice," he says.