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Darshan Thoogudeepa Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Family, Biography

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Age: 47 Years
Height: 6' 3"
Wife: Vijaya Lakshmi

Darshan Thoogudeepa

Bio/Wiki
Real Name Hemanth Kumar
Full NameDarshan Thoogudeepa Srinivas
Other Name(s)Darshan Thoogudeep, S Darshan
Nickname D Boss
Profession(s)Actor, Film Producer, Film Distributor
Known AsChallenging Star, Box Office Sulthan of Sandalwood, Boss, Boss of Sandalwood
Physical Stats
Height 6' 3" (191 cm)
Eye ColourBrown
Hair ColourBlack
Career
DebutFilm (Kannada; As an actor): Mahabhaaratha (1997) as Babu
Mahabhaaratha (1997)
Film (Tamil; As an actor): Vallarasu (2000) as Pandian
Vallarasu (2000)
Film (As a producer): Jothe Jotheyali (2006)
Jothe Jotheyali
Film (As a film distributor): Bulbul (2013)
Bulbul (2013)
Awards • 2010: Zee Kannada Innovative Film Award for Onida Style Icon
• 2012: TV9 awards for Best Actor for Saarathi
• 2012: Suvarna Film Award for Favorite Hero for Saarathi
• 2012: Filmfare Award South for Best Actor for Saarathi
• 2012: SIIMA Award for Best Actor for Saarathi
• 2012: Bangalore Press Club Man of the Year
• 2012: Bangalore Times Film Awards for Best Actor for Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2012: Suvarna Film Award- Favorite Hero for Saarathi
• 2013: Suvarna Film Award- Best Actor for Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2013: Filmfare Award South- Best Actor for Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2013: SIIMA Awards for Best Actor for Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2013: Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2021: 9th SIIMA Award Best Actor for Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna
• 2017: Global Integrity Award
Darshan Thoogudeepa receiving an award
• 2020: South Indian International Movie Award- Best Actor in a Leading Role for Yajamana
Personal Life
Date of Birth16 February 1977 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024) 47 Years
BirthplacePonnampet, Kodagu, Karnataka
Zodiac signAquarius
SignatureDarshan Thoogudeepa's signature
NationalityIndian
HometownKodagu, Karnataka
Educational QualificationPre University Course
Religion Hinduism
CasteBalija (Naidu)
Food HabitNon-Vegetarian
HobbiesDancing
Tattoo(s)On his right bicep: A horse face
Darshan Thoogudeepa's horse tattoo
On his left chest
Darshan Thoogudeepa's tattoo
Controversies• Accused of Domestic Violence
In September 2011, Darshan's wife filed a complaint against him, accusing the latter of domestic violence. An attempt to murder case was also filed against him. He was subsequently arrested and had to spend 14 days in judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Prison, Bangalore. [1]India Today

• Accused of Rash Driving
In 2018, while he was along with his friend Antony travelling in a SUV car, their car rammed into a street light. The bypassers said that Darshan was driving the car. However, his friend Anthony Roy was booked under the sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code - Section 279) for rash driving. [2]India Today

• Assaulted a Waiter
In 2021, he was accused of assaulting a waiter in a hotel in Mysuru. Later, people present at the time of incident said that the local police had closed the case by giving him Rs 50,000. [3]India Today

• Keeping Illegal Birds as Pets
In 2023, a case was filed against Darshan, his wife, and his farmhouse manager for keeping bar headed geese, a migratory bird illegally at his farmhouse. A search team of state forest department also conducted searches at his home after he was seen wearing a tiger claw pendant. [4]India Today

• Instructing His Dogs to Attack a Woman
In November 2023, a woman filed a case against Darshan for instructing his dogs to attack her. She had asked Darshan to move his three dogs away from her. However, Darshan started an argument with her after which the incident happened. [5]India Today

• Abused and Threatened a Businessman
On 26 February 2023, while he was at a pub, a businessman named Yeshwant requested the DJ there to play songs of the Indian actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Darshan and his aides got upset over it as they wanted to play only Darshan's songs. They then started abusing and threatening Yeshwant and his family. Later, an FIR was registered against Darshan and his aides. [6]India Today

• Arrested in a Murder Case
On 11 June 2024, he was arrested in Mysuru in connection with a murder case. According to the police, Darshan killed a person named Renuka Swamy who belonged to Chitradurga as he was involved in online harassment of Pavithra Gowda, rumoured girlfriend of Darshan. [7]Live Mint In September 2024, the Karnataka Police filed a 3,991-page charge sheet against the duo. They claimed to have acquired 232 pieces of evidence against the accused. According to the report, there were bloodstains on Darshan and Pavithra's shirt and footwear, which matched Swamy's blood. [8]India Today
Social Media• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Affairs/GirlfriendsPavithra Gowda (actress, model, fashion designer, entrepreneur) (rumoured)
Darshan Thoogudeepa with Pavithra Godwa
Marriage Date14 May 2000
Darshan Thoogudeepa's wedding picture
Marriage PlaceShri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara, Dharmasthala, Karnataka
Family
Wife/SpouseVijaya Lakshmi Darshan (studied chemical engineering)
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his wife and son
ChildrenSon- Vineesh Darshan (child actor)
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his son
Daughter- None
ParentsFather- Thoogudeepa Srinivas (actor; died on 16 October 1995 due to cardiac arrest)
Darshan Thoogudeepa's father
Mother- Meena (film producer)
Darshan Thoogudeepa's old picture with his family
SiblingsBrother- Dinakar Thoogudeepa (film director; younger)
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his mother and brother
Sister- Divya Thoogudeepa
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his sister
Favourites
Politician Sumalatha
Colour(s)Grey, Brown
Style Quotient
Car Collection• Maruti 800
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his Maruti 800
• Bentley
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his car
• Jaguar XKR-S
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his Jaguar
• Land Rover Defender SUV
• Lamborghini Urus
• Lamborghini Aventador
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Ford Mustang
• Porsche Cayenne
• Range Rover Vogue
• Mini Cooper
• Customized Ford Endeavour
• Toyota Fortuner
• Jeep Wrangler
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his Jeep
• BMW
• Audi Q7 SUV
• Audi A6
• Hummer H3
Bike Collection• Ducati
Darshan Thoogudeepa with his motorcycle
• Harley Davidson Intruder
• Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic
• Suzuki Hayabusa
Money Factor
Salary/Fees (approx.)Rs 15 crore- Rs 20 crore (as of 2024)
Assets/Properties• A farmhouse on the Mysuru-T Narasipura Road
• A private zoo in Mysore

Darshan Thoogudeepa

Some Lesser Known Facts About Darshan Thoogudeepa

  • Darshan Thoogudeepa grew up in Kodagu, Karnataka.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa's childhood picture

    Darshan Thoogudeepa’s childhood picture

  • In childhood, he worked as a light boy and projectionist in various Kannada films.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa as a light boy

    Darshan Thoogudeepa as a light boy

  • He did his schooling in Mysore.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in his teens

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in his teens

  • After completing his schooling, he applied for admission to Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Polytechnic, Mysore.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa's application for admission

    Darshan Thoogudeepa’s application for admission

  • Against his father’s wishes, Darshan then enrolled in Ninasam – Nilakanteshwara Natyaseva Sangha, a theatre training institute in Shimoga, before his father died in 1995.
  • In 1966, his father appeared in the Kannada film Thoogudeepa with which he gained immense popularity. Since then his father started using Thoogudeepa after his name.
  • After his father’s death, he worked at their hotel and sold cow milk to meet the family’s financial expenses.
  • He then modelled for Jaganmohan Palace in Mysore.
  • Before making his career in acting, he worked as an assistant cameraman to the Indian cinematographer B. C. Gowrishankar.
  • As an actor, he made his debut with a TV serial by the Indian film director and producer S. Narayan. He then played a few small roles in TV serials for which he used to receive Rs 200 per day.
  • Darshan has acted in many popular Kannada films including ‘Kariya’ (2003), ‘Saarathi’ (2011), ‘Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna’ (2012), ‘Ambareesha’ (2014), ‘Yajamana’ (2019), and ‘Kurukshetra’ (2019).

    Yajamana

    Yajamana

  • In 2006, he started his film production house named Thoogudeepa Productions.
  • He has produced a few Kannada films like ‘Navagraha’ (2008), ‘Bulbul’ (2013), and ‘Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole’ (2016).
  • He has lent his voice to various Kannada films’ songs like “Haago Heege” from ‘Saarathi’ (2011), “Khel Khatam” from Ambareesha (2014), and “Dasharatha Title Track” from ‘Dasharatha’ (2019).

    Haago Heege

    Haago Heege

  • He started his film distribution company named Thoogudeepa Distributors in 2013. Some of his Kannada films as a film distributor are ‘Ugramm’ (2014), ‘Oggarane’ (2014), ‘Rhaatee’ (2015), ‘Buguri’ (2015), ‘Melkote Manja’ (2017), and ‘Life Jothe Ondu Selfie’ (2018).

    Life Jothe Ondu Selfie

    Life Jothe Ondu Selfie

  • As a narrator, he has worked in a few Kannada films like ‘Dasharatha’ (2019) and ‘Ombattane Dikku’ (2022).
  • In January 2024, the Indian actress Pavithra Gowda shared a reel along with Darshan after which it was speculated that Darshan and Pavithra were in a relationship.
  • On his YouTube channel D Boss Kingdom, his interviews, work-related videos, and personal videos are uploaded.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa's YouTube channel

    Darshan Thoogudeepa’s YouTube channel

  • Darshan has played cricket for the Celebrity Cricket League from the team Karnataka Bulldozers.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa's before a match of Karnataka Bulldozers

    Darshan Thoogudeepa’s before a match of Karnataka Bulldozers

  • He has also started a cricket league named Thoogudeepa Cricket League.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa at an event of TCL

    Darshan Thoogudeepa at an event of TCL

  • He is a religious person and regularly visits various temples.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in a temple

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in a temple

  • He is an avid animal lover. He has also adopted a few animals from various zoos. He owns a mini zoo.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa with his pet bull

    Darshan Thoogudeepa with his pet bull

  • Darshan follows the teachings of the spiritual leader Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri.
  • He has campaigned for the Indian politician Sumalatha in various political rallies.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa with Sumalatha

    Darshan Thoogudeepa with Sumalatha

  • He has been associated with various social welfare organisations.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa celebrating birthday of a special child

    Darshan Thoogudeepa celebrating the birthday of a special child

  • He has a huge fan base in Karnataka, and his fans have started an online fan group named D Company.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa's fan group

    Darshan Thoogudeepa’s fan group

  • In 2019, he was appointed as the brand ambassador of the Forest Department of the Karnataka Government.
  • In 2023, he campaigned for the BJP in the 2023 Karnataka legislative assembly election. Whereas, in 2024, he campaigned for Indian National Congress candidate Star Chandu during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
  • He was once one of the highest-paid actors in the Kannada film industry.
  • In an interview, he shared that he smokes and consumes alcohol.
  • On 11 June 2024, Darshan, his rumoured girlfriend Pavithra Gowda, and ten other people were arrested in a murder case of a man named Renuka Swamy.

    Renuka Swamy

    Renuka Swamy

  • It was later revealed that Darshan was angry with Swamy for his abusive messages to Gowda. Swamy often made bad comments on Gowda’s Instagram account for causing problems between Darshan and his wife, Vijay Lakshmi.
  • One source revealed that Darshan contacted Raghavendra, the organiser of Chitradurga’s Darshan Fan Club to gather information about Renuka Swamy.
  • Reportedly, Darshan made a plan and told Raghavendra to bring Swamy to Darshan’s place. Swamy, a die-hard fan of Darshan, was happy upon hearing this and agreed to go to Bengaluru with Raghavendra. Another source claimed that Swamy was kidnapped from Chitradurga to Bengaluru.
  • Allegedly, Darshan and the other accused beat Swamy with sticks, and Darshan also kicked Swamy in his private part. They also slammed his head with an auto parked in the shed.
  • Darshan denied any involvement in the murder and claimed during the police investigation that he met Swamy and slapped him twice for sending such messages to Gowda after which Swamy apologised to him. He said that he gave money to Swamy to eat lunch and left the place.
  • It was also said that on the day of the murder of Swamy, Darshan partied the whole night.
  • On 16 June 2024, Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and other accused were remanded to police custody till 20 June 2024. According to the people present in the court, Gowda started crying in the court while Darshan remained calm.

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in police custody

    Darshan Thoogudeepa in police custody

  • In August 2024, a photo of Darshan went viral on the internet in which he was seen sitting on a chair in a garden while holding a cigarette and drinking coffee in the Central Bengaluru Jail. After the photo went viral, many police personnel were suspended and an inquiry into the matter was ordered by the Karnataka government. [9]NDTV

    The viral photo of Darshan (extreme right) that was taken while he was in jail

    The viral photo of Darshan (extreme right) that was taken while he was in jail

References/Sources:[+]