I didn’t want to take the usual route for my launch: Dhaarshan

Dhaarshan Ganesan, the grandson of legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan, is making his feature film debut with debutant DD Balachandran’s Lenin Pandiyan, co-starring Gangai Amaren.

The actor tells us, “I just want to be known as somebody who is good at their work.” Excerpts from an exclusive interview with the young actor:‘I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE USUAL ROUTE FOR MY DEBUT’I’ve done theatre and ads in Bombay. It would have been normal for me to be launched with a typical city-based subject with songs and romance. I didn’t want to take the usual route. Lenin Pandiyan is a character-oriented film set in a village. It’s the journey of two men and how they’re fighting for self-respect against a system that’s trying to put them down.

I’m playing a police constable. I did a lot of research and I interacted with constables about their life so that my performance doesn’t come across as superficial.

I also tried to learn about life in Sivaganga, where the film is set, as there’s a huge difference between the lifestyle in Chennai and there.‘MY FAMILY NEVER CALLED ANYONE AND RECOMMENDED ME’My family had reservations about me entering the industry. So, I tried other things and went to a liberal arts college in Pune.

My dad (Ramkumar Ganesan) wanted me to do international business and marketing, but I shifted to film and television. I remember him saying, ‘What did I send you for? You’ve come back doing something entirely different.’ He was disappointed initially, but he is totally fine now and just wants me to do well.

He told me to be sincere and learn as much as I can. He said, ‘Every industry has its highs and lows and you’ve to navigate that by yourself.’

My family never called anyone and recommended me. That’s also what I wanted. When my dad was about to do that, I told him not to because I’d only be more stressed if he did that.‘I’M USED TO REJECTIONS, BUT HAVE BECOME MORE CONFIDENT WITH EVERY AUDITION’First and foremost, I believe in working on my craft. I went for workshops and worked on my skills. At one point, I felt that while I could keep learning, I’ve got to start somewhere. That’s when I started approaching people. I’ve gone to many film production offices, met producers and directors, and expressed my interest in working with them.

Sometimes, I do reveal my name because that’s how you get the appointment. But it doesn’t guarantee work.

Some of them wouldn’t say a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, just that they’d keep me posted, and I’d know that’s a ‘No’. I’ve become more confident with every audition. I’m also used to rejections. It would feel bad, but you have to brush it aside and try to get better. You’ve got to put yourself out there and meet people.‘NEPOTISM DOESN’T GUARANTEE LONGTERM SUCCESS’Nepotism can’t get you more work. It’s your work that will get you more work.

People belonging to all industries will promote their family. But that doesn’t guarantee long-term success. You’ve got to work hard. A director told me, ‘Your family name brought you here, but it won’t guarantee work. Your work has to speak for itself.’ Eventually, it’s your talent and effort that will make you sustain. Though I come from a privileged background, I wasn’t given anything on a platter.‘I GOT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH GANGAI AMAREN SIR’Gangai Amaren sir doesn’t give you the air that he’s a legend.

During the shoot, he’d break out into a song suddenly and I’d join him. We spoke about his and Ilaiyaraaja sir’s struggles. Since he knows my family, he shared his experience working with them. He told me personal stories about my grandfather which even I didn’t know. He said that my grandfather was sensitive and was always open to learning, and didn’t think of himself as ‘The Sivaji Ganesan’.

In that sense, I got to know more about my own family members through him. On his favourite Sivaji films... Gauravam is one of my favourite films of my grandfather. The dynamism with which he plays the dual roles is so good and powerful. And Parasakthi ... it’s a raw, innocent and courageous performance. That’s a film which really moved people. From him, I want to imbibe qualities like discipline and how he constantly observed and explored art. I’d also love to have his drive and the constant need to get better.