by Subhash K Jha

Mona Lisa has won the state award for 2004 - 05 for the best film. And its Bollywood-based hero is ecstatic.

Says Dhyaan, "I feel personally triumphant. It's like I've scored a sixer . Mona Lisa was my second film... It ran for 100 days and more in major centers in Karnataka. Indrajit Lankesh who directed the film and also won the best director state award this was a wonderful to work with."

Dhyaan gets nostalgic. "After Nanna Preethiya Hudugi where I played a teenage boy, Mona Lisa changed my image in Karnataka For the first time I had action scenes in a film. My fight on roller skates became a big rage.... people loved it. I am glad Indrajit Lankesh was able to use my USP as a roller skater very smartly in the film.

I loved working with him.... he is a young stylish director with great commercial sensibility. I would love to be a part of all his films, and am sure we will work together again soon. Indrajit Lankesh and me were suppose to do his first film Thuntata together. We had met in Mumbai, he had loved me in Nanna Preethiya Hudugi (my first film).

But unfortunately due to date commitments to the Rajshri productions for my first film, I could not be a part of Thuntata. When he approached me for his third film Mona Lisa (my second Kannada film) I had just completed my commitment with Rajshri and was sure I wanted to work with him in this one. I clearly remember we met at a cafe in Bandra.

When I met him I was half sure I wanted to be a part of Mona Lisa.We shot over We shot all around Bangalore and had a very memorable outdoor schedule in Bangkok and Phuket. The producer of the film, Dushyant is a very fine human being and he's supported the film and all us technicians blindly.

Inspite of being a producer he always had ready references and ideas about how he wants a song or action sequence to look like. Sada my co star was very sweet and co-operative to work with and her father was always a source of constant entertainment in-between shots while shooting."

Dhyaan, now busy with his career dual-career in Mumbai and Bangalore, breaks into a fond smile at any mention of Bangalore.

"It was during the shooting of Mona Lisa that Bangalore became like second home to me. I made a good group of friends like Deepen, Mohit, Rohit and Rajat who now are like an extended family in Bangalore and always make me feel at home every time I go there.

It was after the success of Mona Lisa that I realised how warmly and lovingly the Kannada audiences have accepted me. It was after tasting the success of Mona Lisa I realised that I love the Kannada industry and am here to stay and shall continue to do Kannada films for the rest of my life, irrespective of my Hindi career.

I owe my career in Kannada to my first film director Mr. Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar for introducing me and now giving me another hit Amruthdhare, and to Indrajit Lankesh for giving me Mona Lisa and reinforcing my popularity in Kannada and giving me a new young image there."