The original film had brought tears to Jaggesh's eyes.
The actor watched the film at least 30 times. He also saw the Tamil remake.
That's why he was hesitant when he was offered to play the lead role in the Kannada version. "I was hesitant, as my fans always liked me in full length comedy roles. But then I thought it would be the right vehicle to showcase my versatility.
"Though I was very impressed with Dileep's performance, I have done both the roles in my own style. Director Rajesh also wanted me to retain my style. I think you will see the difference in Manmatha. In my 26 years of experience as an actor, I have not acted in such diverse roles before," he says.
But acting a hunchback did not come easily to the actor. "For the viewers, it may be some sort of a tragic-comical journey but I had to spend hours for the make up. Thankfully, we engaged the same person who did the make up for Kamal Haasan in the film, Indian. It was worth the trouble."
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