Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested recently on charges of murdering his fan, Renuka Swamy. The actor, who is revered by his fans and is called "Challenging Star," is in police custody. There are reports that his die-hard fans are still stationed outside the police station, seeking an early release of the actor.
Last year, on his birthday, Darshan also got a tattoo 'Celebrities' inked on his chest as a tribute to his fans. Darshan fondly calls his fans 'celebrities' which is the reason he chose to get tattooed as Nanna Celebrities.
In the past, his fans have individually promoted his films whenever there was a boycott call from a certain section.
Though Darshan has remained in the news many times for his controversial moves, he was not always like this.
In the early years of his acting, Darshan was lauded for his hard work and being very humble. Over time, however, fame and wealth appear to have negatively impacted him.
Darshan's father, Tugdeep Srinivas, was a renowned artist, but the actor faced many challenges early in his career.
After receiving acting training at NINASAM, he began working as an assistant to cameraman Gowrishankar.
Subsequently, Darshan appeared in television serials, including one directed by the famous S. Narayan. His breakthrough came with the film “Majestic,” directed by P. N. Satya. Hits like “Kariya,” “Dasa,” “Saradara,” and “Dhruva” further solidified his position.
Darshan faced several controversies during his film career
In 2011, he was arrested for assaulting his wife, Vijayalakshmi. The incident garnered significant media attention and cast a dent in his public image. Despite these challenges, Darshan continued to be a prominent figure in the Kannada film industry.
His relationship with fellow actress Pavithra Gowda was also something that not many of his fans and well-wishers agreed to.
Pavithra shared a video in January on her Instagram celebrating ten years with Darshan, implying a long-term relationship. The video caption, "One decade down, forever to go," sparked rumors and added fuel to the controversy. Pavithra claimed that Vijayalakshmi was aware of their relationship and had accepted it, further complicating the public perception of Darshan's personal life. The affair allegations, combined with Pavithra's subsequent public statements about mental pain caused by societal backlash, kept Darshan in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Darshan's public statements in the past have also landed him in trouble. In 2023, while promoting his movie 'Kranti,' he made an objectionable comment about Goddess Lakshmi, which incited public outrage. He said, "The Goddess of Luck does not always come knocking on your door. So, when she does come, grab her and lock her in your bedroom without giving her clothes."
Darshan has faced multiple assault charges over the years. In 2021, he was accused of assaulting a waiter at a Mysuru hotel. Reports suggested that the incident was covered up, with the police compensating the waiter with Rs 50,000.
More recently, in 2023, Darshan was arrested after a 48-year-old lawyer accused him of ordering his dogs to attack her for parking her car near his residence. These incidents have painted a picture of an actor with a volatile temper and a penchant for violence, further tarnishing his public image.
In 2023, following the success of his movie 'Kaatera,' Darshan, along with several other celebrities, was issued a notice for disturbing the peace. They celebrated the movie's success at a bar in Bengaluru, despite being warned to end the party by 12:30 AM. This incident also highlighted Darshan's disregard for public order and added another controversy to his growing list of legal issues.
Throwing tantrums
After a series of flops earlier, many media outlets have written about the actor getting repetitive and monotonous with the choice of roles. This actually widened the gap between him and the media. Darshan started avoiding media outlets.
There were also reports that Darshan had once refused to work with an A-list actress because she had done an item number. He would also insist his own outdoor unit be hired for his films. He would also make a list of directors, music directors, and others he wanted to work with.
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) held a meeting on Thursday at its office to discuss a possible ban on actor Darshan and reiterated its earlier decision to wait for the police to conclude its investigations before proceeding with any further action against the star.
Meanwhile, even as the Karnataka film fraternity is mum over the unfolding events, refusing to comment on Darshan's arrest or possible involvement in the murder, as well as the toxic fan culture in southern India, director Ram Gopal Varma, who had always been vocal about the unhealthy fan obsession, took to X to post his thoughts.
"A star using one die-hard fan to kill another die-hard fan who was interfering in his personal life is a fit example of the bizarreness of the star worship syndrome. Fans wanting to order how their stars should run their lives is an unavoidable side effect of the same syndrome," posted Varma on X.
The hero, who is shown to be fighting for justice and the bad people of society, is actually held responsible for the murder of a fan. I hope justice prevails in real life too.
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