Coorg lad's knotty affair

This Coorg lad, born in Madikeri and brought up in the coastal city of Mangaluru, landed in Bengaluru in search of a job. After working for a while, he took up modelling after he got complimented for his good looks. Though acting still remained off his charts, Bharath Bopanna, experimented with the medium by acting in a mega socio-mythological serial produced by the Bahubali makers. After his first venture in Girija Kalyana, Bharath Bopanna is shining bright with his second one titled Brahmangantu (meaning God’s knot), which is the remake of Hindi serial Badho Bahu.

In such a short span of time, his popularity as Lakshama alias Lucky in the serial has earned him a huge female folling. He shares his journey with Bengaluru Chronicle. “My first serial was Girija Kalyana directed by Naveen Krishna sir. It was a socio-mythological drama produced by Arca Media, which produced the super hit Bahubali series. It was indeed a dream debut for someone who had no knowledge about acting or anything to do with the making of TV serials. Prior to it, after finishing my studies in Managaluru, I came to Bengaluru in search of a job. I worked for a while in an MNC, where most of my colleagues encouraged me and I eventually took up modeling,” says Bharath Bopanna.

His first serial came to an abrupt end, when it was taken off the air, but fortunately, Bharath came across another great opportunity to star in a multi-starrer daily soap which has several senior actor sand technicians —  from director-actor T S Nagabharana, Vanitha Vasu — for the serial directed by the popular Shruthi Naidu. “I  feel lucky to be a part of Brahmagantu, which has a different story. It is full of energy with senior actors playing the lead roles. I have immensely benefitted with them around while improving my performances with their constant guidance. I was happy modeling till a friend asked me to  audition for my first serial. When I did got through the audition, I was very tensed. On the first day of the shoot, I had to enact a fighting scene and the very next day I had a scene with the actress. I was clueless but slowly learnt the art and my only aim thereafter was to better myself as an actor,”he says.

Born in Madikeri, he had to shift to Mangaluru, after his mother, a government employee was transferred. “I finished my entire studies till BCA in Mangaluru. It was not that easy to start as for many it usually takes years before they find the right opportunity. With great back-to-back opportunity, I had to concentrate more on the basic aspects of being an actor. In Girija Kalyana, it was a challenge to portray a socio-mythological character, which demands a different body language and dialect too. It took some time adapt but with the help of Naveen Krishna sir, I pulled it off,” reveals Bharath.

Bharath confesses that great support from his family members keeps him motivated. “My mother eagerly waits for the clock to strike 10 every night on weekdays to see me perform in Brahamagantu,” he adds. A fitness freak, who religiously hits the gym apart from following a strict diet, Bharath signs off by adding that during his school and college days, he was a district level badminton and volleyball player.