Rangayana Raghu interview: I love roles that make me think

Enjoying all the praise for his lead performances in the recent Kannada films ‘Shakhahaari’ and ‘Moorane Krishnappa’, the veteran actor talks about his love for acting and breaking the monotony

Rangayana Raghu is reveling in a fresh phase of his career. The Kannada actor, with three decades of experience in cinema, is now being seen in stories that revolve around his character.

Raghu rose to prominence with his terrific coming timing and admirable consistency as a character artiste. But with Shakahahaari and Moorane Krishnappa in 2024, he is now carrying films on his shoulders with aplomb.

Well aware of Kannada’s rich legacy, Raghu was excited to do both films as they allowed him to explore the different dialects of the language. “Sandeep Sunkad, the director of Shakhahaari, is from Shivamogga. The story unfolds in Thirthahalli, a town in Shivamogga. He had a strong hold over the kind of Kannada spoken in the district. Once I picked up the dialect, it was easy to live that character,” says Raghu.

Moorane Krishnappa was a story of a villagein Anekal. “Director Naveen Narayanaghatta is from that part of Karnataka, so he wrote the script in that dialect. I had fun playing the character who speaks Kannada with Anekal and Kolar slang,” he adds.

Shakhahaari is a thriller in which Raghu risks his life giving shelter to a man accused of murdering his wife. Essaying the role of a cook who owns a small hotel, Raghu’s character, Subbanna, is also a theatre enthusiast and loves someone secretly. 

The seasoned actor brings out his versatility to make a mark in a challenging role. After a decent run in theatres, the film has now crossed one crore streaming minutes on Prime Video.

“I was impressed by the story. Subbanna loves his small little world, and he wants to enjoy life. But what happens when he must protect his dubious acts and hope for a bright future? This sort of challenging situation makes the character very vulnerable. And the film has several twists to keep you hooked,” explains Raghu.