Saarathi (2011)

Raja drives an auto-rickshaw and is loved by everyone for his good heart and his readiness to fight for the underdog. He falls for a spirited young woman, and their romance fills the lighter first half. But Raja is not who he seems: he is the heir of a royal family whose enemies destroyed his home, and when the past catches up with him he must take up the role he was born to and protect his people. Saarathi was directed by Dinakar Thoogudeepa, Darshan's brother, and marked Deepa Sannidhi's debut. Released in 2011 while Darshan was going through a well-publicised legal case, it became one of the biggest Kannada hits of the year, helped by V. Harikrishna's songs. It circulates in Hindi as Rajavansh.