Staying home with no work for over six months is daunting: Dheekshith Shetty

Picture this. You struggle to find a foothold in the film industry for eight long years, out of which, four are invested in your debut film. And just days after your debut film has finally hit screens and is doing well, the world goes into lockdown.
“Yes, that hit pretty hard,” admits actor Dheekshith Shetty, whose debut film Dia hit the screens just days before the lockdown was announced at the onset of the pandemic in India in 2020.“It was disheartening, to say the least. But things took a turn when people showered us with love after watching the film on OTT. I was happy that I had a debut that was well received. But then again, the question that was plaguing me was – What next?,” he explains.
For a newcomer, who is not exactly financially stable, staying home with no work for over six months can be daunting. “I tried to focus on learning new things. Seniors in the industry advised me to learn the nuances of editing film. So I worked on the edits for short videos and films. After a point, I even spent my time back home learning more about farming. Getting to spend months at home after years of struggle to get my career on track was in a way a welcome change. But I cannot help but wonder how different things would have been post the release of Dia, had we not got hit by the pandemic,” reflects Dheekshith.
However, he adds, that eventually luck did take his side. “Thanks to the presence on OTT, I got a couple of projects not just in Kannada but in Telugu too. So, I guess, pandemic or not, my debut film did help me get somewhere. At times like this, it is important for all of us to stay strong and continue to believe in ourselves and those around us,” says Dheekshith.