S. K. Padmadevi
Kavitha Lankesh
B Jayashree
Arundathi Nag
Vaishali Kasaravalli
Dina Pathak
Kalpana Naganath
KS Krishnamurthy
Mico Manju
Bollera Ashok Mandanna
Vasanth Josalkar
Raghuram Sitaram
John Devaraj
S Ramachandra
R.K. Laxman
L. Vaidyanathan
Malnad Jagadish
Suresh Urs
Siddaraj Kalyankar
Mandeep Rai
Sampath Raj
Kanti Madiya
Master Manjunath
Girish Karnad
Shankar Nag
Harish Patel
Anant Nag
Vishnuvardhan
Ramesh Bhat
Sameer Rajda
Deven Bhojani
Chetan
1. S. K. Padmadevi
S.K. Padmadevi came to this world in 1924 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. She was a very renowned Indian Actress, who predominantly worked in the Sandalwood Film Industry. She also worked with All India Radio for two decades. Likewise, she also worked in some Tamil motion pictures. She started her journey in the world of Theatre and Entertainment in 1960. She also had an opportunity to participate in the ‘Bhakta Sudhama’ by Kalaivani. Furthermore, she also sang a song for the same, which was duly loved by the audience.
She was married to a theatre artist, Padmanabha Rao. Some of her greatest works are ‘Bhakta Dhruva’ in 1934, ‘Gangavathar’ in 1942, ‘Samsara Nauka’ in 1936, ‘Vasantsena’ in 1941, and many more. She died on 19th September 2019 in Bangalore. Her age was 95...
2. Kavitha Lankesh
Kavitha Lankesh is a renowned Indian film director, lyricist, and screenwriter for Kannada Film Industry. Her father P. Lankesh was a noted journalist of Kannada Language and also the founder of weekly tabloid Lankesh Pattrike. Her mother owns a sari shop in Bengaluru. Kavitha had come from a family of media publishers. She has two siblings both in the media line. She did a Masters in English from Bengaluru University and also holds a diploma in advertising.
When her father started to plan for her marriage, she was adamant not to get married, and she convinced her parents to use the money that was saved for her marriage, to travel around the world. She owned an advertising company before entering the entertainment industry.
She started out in films by directing several documentaries. Her first documenta...
3. B Jayashree
B. Jayashree is a Kannada actress, singer, and a director. She was born on June 9, 1950, in Bengaluru, India. Her father was Basavaraj, who was also an actor. Her mother was Malathamma. Her grandfather, Gubbi Veeranna was also an actor and a director. Her grandfather started the Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company.
Jayashree started acting when she was only four years old. She appeared in movies like ‘Veera’, ‘Vikrama’, and ‘Mamatheya Bandhana’. After she had completed her high school, she moved to Delhi in 1973, to pursue a degree from National school of Drama, Delhi. In the National School of Drama, she was trained under Ebrahim Alkazi, who was also a well-known theater director. After completing her graduation, B. Jayashree dubbed various movies, which include ‘Roadu&rsquo...
4. Arundathi Nag
Arundathi Nag is an Indian actress and theater person. She was born on 6th July, 1956 in New Delhi to a Maharashtian family and had three siblings. When she was a 10 year kid, her family shifted to Bombay. Arundathi had an immense passion about theater since her childhood. When she was a teen, she joined a theater group and she used to act in 40 shows in a single month, the shows used to be either in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi. Arundathi acted in many Kannada and Hindi films. In 2005, for her acting in the Kannada film "Jogi", a blockbuster film, Arundathi won the best supporting actress award from the state government of Karnataka. She was again nominated for the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the super hit Bollywood movie "Paa...
5. Vaishali Kasaravalli
Vaishali Kasaravalli was born on 12 April 1952 in Gulbarga to theatre enthusiast parents Nirmala and Dr. Chitagopi. She was a well noted Kannada film actor, costume designer and television serial director. Vaishali Kasaravalli completed BA. Late Dr. B.V.Karanth initiated her to theatre. After her family moved to Bangalore, She acted in many plays including Jokumaraswamy, Hayavadana, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Natakakaarana Shdhaneyalli Aaru Paathragalu and many more. Vaishali Kasaravalli also directed Sevanthi Prasanga and translated many Marathi and Hindi classic works.
She started film career in 1972 with movie "Yaava Janmada Maitri" and later Professor Huchuraya in the same year. Her most popular and remarkable films are Akramana, Yarigu Helbedi,Hombisilu, Angaialli Apsare, Kraurya, Kittu Puttu, Swamy, Thabarana Kath...
6. Dina Pathak
Dina Pathak or Deena Pathak was Indian film actor, veteran actor and Gujarati theatre director. She was born on 4 March 1922 in Amreli, Gujarat. She studied in Bombay College where she became the part of student activism. That was the time when Bahavai theater was widely used to create sense and awareness about rule of Britain and from here she became the source of reviving Gujarati theatre. Later, she has joined as an actress the Indian National Theater. She married to Baldev Pathak with two daughters Patna Pathak and Supriya Pathak.
She started acting in different plays from her teenage and received ramble reviews of many critics. She remained woman activist for a long time and was also the President of National Federation of Indian Women. She ruled Indian film industry for more than six decades an...
7. Kalpana Naganath
8. KS Krishnamurthy
KS Krishnamurthy was a music composer born in December 1921. He was born in Kallidaikurichi in the Tirunelveli district but lived in Calcutta for several years. He was recognized as KSK. He did his schooling at the Hindu High School in Triplicane, Madras, India. One of his teachers was G V Narayanaswamy Iyer, father of G N Balasubramanyam. Probably it was that institution that ignited KSK's music. Even then, his idea was to study mathematics. Still, he shifted to music when Tiger Varadachariar, the leading faculty member of the music college of Annamalai University, urged him to do so. KSK obtained the Sangeeta Bhooshanam diploma program from Annamalai University. Some of his teachers are Tiger Varadachariar, Tanjavur Ponniah Pillai, Madurai Subramanya Iyer, and Sattur Krishna Iyengar.
...9. Mico Manju
Mico Manju is a Kannada film and TV actor. He is the best-looking actor in screen and TV as well. He even acted in numerous stage plays in Karnataka. His good looking and charming face-cut go well with the audience. And he has donned various roles in the screen too. Recently, ‘Aaha Nanna Thangi Maduve' was a film in which the actor Mico Manju had played a pivotal role along with Laxmi Musuri, Bank Janardhan, Biradar, Kishori Ballal , etc.
The actor also participated in a TV game show 'Chota Champion 2’ being telecast on Zee Kannada at 9 pm. This 26-episode was meant exclusively for toddlers and their parents. The show witnessed the entry of bevy of celebrity guests and in one such episode actor Mico Manchu took part along with other TV actors Harini a...
10. Bollera Ashok Mandanna
Bollera Ashok Mandanna is an Indian actor who serves the Kannada film industry with his acting. Bollera is from Kodagu and has a mother, a father, and two siblings in the family. Mandannawas admitted to the National School of Drama and calls it "an extremely stimulating time to be in NSD". Later, to learn more about acting, he went to Weber Douglas Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in London for three years.
Mandanna's acting grabbed everyone's attention that led him to achieve certain vital things. Listing a few, he acted in early films like Chandramurta and Kanneswara Rama. He also performed a postman's role in an episode, Missing Mail, that received massive appreciation from everyone.
11. Vasanth Josalkar
Vasant Josalkar was a student of the National School of Drama in Delhi and is recognized as a Bishmacharya of Goan Theatre and a nationally acclaimed performer. Josalkar was the director of Kala Academy's Theatre Art Faculty and the recipient of several awards and medals.
Josalkar was a well-known Marathi and Hindi actor who was born on January 8, 1947, in Varkhande village in Pernem. He was inspired to theatre by traditional Sangeet-Natak performances in his village, where he performed alongside his father and brother. In 1976, he obtained his stagecraft diploma from the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi. The following year, he joined the NSD Repertory Company, where he acted in a number of popular performances till 1986. Josalkar returned to Goa in 1987 to work at the Goa Kala Academy, where he served as Directo...
12. Raghuram Sitaram
Do you remember your Malgudi days, an Indian Hindi-language television show based on short stories? Raghuram Sitaram is one of the actors who worked in these evergreen series. He played the role of Mani in Episodes 1-8, and episode 43. He also played the role of Prashant Diwan in Tv series Rishtey ke Doree (2003). His net worth is about $ 14 million.
...13. John Devaraj
Bornfree art school's creator and artistic director, as well as a trustee, is John Devaraj. He is an engineer by training, but a passionate artist of the arts. He is a sculptor, painter, architect, movie and stage art director, musician, documentary filmmaker, photographer, dramatist, actor, puppeteer, facilitator, and consultant for culture, youth, and children's events. He's also known as a Malgudi Days performer and art director (1986). He's also the sculptor and artistic director of Janotsava, a non-profit organization based in Bangalore that engages impoverished children in cultural events and stage plays about children's issues. Other nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America where children are being exploited are visited by Janotsava's company.
...14. S Ramachandra
S Ramachandra is an Indian cinematographer who worked for the Kannada film industry. He was born on 16th November 1948 in Bangalore, Karnataka. After completing his studies and securing the fifth rank in the Pre-university course, he went to the National Film and Television Institute in Pune so that he can learn cinematography. As an assistant cameraman, he worked in his first movie Vamsha Vriksha which was directed by Girish Karnad and V. B. Karanth.
His talent was then recognized by P.V. Nanjaraja who asked him to work with his feature film Sankalpa. It was Ramachandra's first movie as an Independent Cinematographer. He also worked with popular Girish Kasaravalli in many films like NaayiNeralu, Mane, Hasina, Akramana, and Gulabi Talkies. Ramachandra was also the President of the K...
15. R.K. Laxman
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman, commonly known as R.K. Laxman, is an Indian cartoonist, humorist and illustrator. He was born on 24 October 1921, Mysuru. He died on 26 January 2015, Pune. 'The Common Man' and 'You Said It’ in The Times of India are two of his most famous creations. The realization that being an Artist and drawing could be a career for him hit him much early in his life because doodling was his sole passion. His fascination with drawing began quite early in his life, where he particularly loved to glance at the illustrations in magazines wherever he could find them. The budding artist, therefore, started doodling as soon his hands caught hold of the creative weapon.
R.K. Laxman once applied to study at the J. J. School of Art, Bombay, but he couldn’t make it. With lots of courage and resta...
16. L. Vaidyanathan
Lakshminarayana Vaidyanathan normally known as L.Vaidyanathan was a proficient music director, composer, and musicologist in Tamil and Kannada film industry. He was born in 1942 on April 9th. Before coming into the movie field, L. Vaidyanathan was a traditionally trained carnatic vocalist. He was married to Chenjulakshmi and was wonderfully blessed with two sons. Kannadigas who love his music have a huge respect towards him.
Before becoming a music composer, he worked under the legendary music director G. K. Venkatesh as an assistant music director.L. Vaidyanathan was the older brother of the leading duo L. Shankar, L. Subramaniam and the three had played at many musical concerts in early days. His very own father, V. Lakshminarayana Iyer was his music teacher. Vaidyanathan had given his debut music in 1977 for the movie &ldqu...
17. Malnad Jagadish
Malnad Jagdish is a Kannada television actor who was born in Bengaluru on 1 January 1970. He started working as a cinematographer in Bengaluru. He worked as a cameraman for many years and later, he started getting offers to play in movies. He is working in the Kannada industry for more than ten years. He is also a counselor and poet who strengthens youngsters with his words. He worked in Milana Serial from 2013 to 2016. It aired on Suvarna Channel. Jagdish gained a very good fan base in a short time.
The actor also worked in the serial Mathe Vasantha. The TV series has Keerthi, Spandana and Jaydev in the lead roles. Star Golden is again starting a serial named Back to Spring in which Keerthi Bano, Jagdish Malnad and Aparna are in the lead roles and it was directed by Madhusudan...
18. Suresh Urs
Suresh Urs is an Indian movie editor, who works mainly in the South Indian cinema. He has worked in over 700 movies and 40 documentaries and TV shows. Suresh is mostly known for his collaboration with directors like Mani Ratnam, Girish Ratnad, Shankar Nag, T. S. Nagabharana, P. Vasu, Bala, Girish Kasarvalli, Saran and Baraguru Ramachandrappa. Suresh got the National Film Award for Best Editing work in movie Bombay (1995).
He received many state awards which include several Karnataka State Film Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Suresh also honored to win the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Prashasti, which is a Lifetime Achievement Vishnuvardhan Award from Karnataka Government in 2014.
...19. Siddaraj Kalyankar
Siddaraj Kalyankar has been playing the supporting character roles in Kannada movies. He also had acted in Malayalam movies too. He played the role of Upendra’s guardian in the Kannada film ‘Godfather’ that released in 2013. He even acted in a Malayalam movie named ‘Oru Yakshi Kadha‘ which was a love story.
In 2008, he acted in one of the most critically acclaimed Kannada movie ‘Avva’ which was released under the banner of Pyramid Saimira Limited. The movie was a hit. Also, he acted in a most successful and top ranking Kannada TV serial named ‘Baduku’.
The mega television serial had 3238 episodes that were aired in Sun Network ‘Udaya TV’. ‘Baduku’ was direct...
20. Mandeep Rai
Indian-born Mandeep Rai is a superstar in the entertainment milieu. His talent as an actor is admirable. Mandeep made his debut in the film industry with “Sixer”,a drama released on 5 January 2007. This icon’s role helps the expansion of cinema. Mandeep Rai is a dynamic and passionate individual, who ensures the satisfaction of every audience. He performed for many blockbusters in the Malayalam Language. In 2007 his role in the movie titled “Sixer” contributed to the esteem of this blockbuster.
He performed alongside icons like Adi Lokesh, Chitra Shenoy, Veena Sundar, Sadhu Kokila, and Rangayana Ragu. The melody for “Sixer” is excellent. This work of art mesmerizes the viewers, and is a delight to watch. The acti...
21. Sampath Raj
'Sampath Raj' was born on 25 December 1968 in Chennai. He adopted film field as his profession for more than a decade by acting in a 2004-released film titled ‘Neranja Manasu’ .Though he played only a small role in the film, he gave it his best and had a series of films to his credits almost every year since then. Though born in Chennai, Sampath is not partial about the languages of the movies he acts in, nor is he bothered with the type of role that he gets to play in the films.
He was featured in more than sixty films till date. His impartiality and his wish to accommodate movies from various states in the country has gained him a lot of reputation in the subcontinent. Though Tamil is his mother tongue, he is fluent in various south Indian lang...
22. Kanti Madiya
Kanti Madiya was an Indian Actor. He has predominantly worked in the Hindi Cinema. However, he can also be frequently seen in Gujarati Film Industry aka Dhollywood. He was born on the 7th of March in the year 1932. Apart from making his mark in the acting circuit, he was also a producer, director and playwright. His start in the industry was very conventional as he took the tried and verified path of entering the theater, and learning the basic fundamentals of acting. He has revealed in several interviews, that his experience in theater helps him enhance his performance on the big screen. Also working on the stage, helped him understand the backstage work and to eventually pursue his fantasy of becoming a director.
He always had interest writing but didn’t get an opportunity to write for the big screen. However, he has wr...
23. Master Manjunath
Master Manjunath is an actor from India well known for his role as ‘Swami’ in the evergreen people’s favourite television series, ‘Malgudi Days’. He was born as Manjunath Nayaker on December 23rd in the year 1976 in the city of Bangalore in Karnataka. Manjunath completed his higher secondary education and headed to college and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English (BA. English) from Mysore University. He then majored in Sociology (MA. Sociology) from Bangalore University. Manjunath was interested in filmmaking considering the amount of exposure he had in his childhood as Swami. He underwent a certificate course in cinematography and took a diploma. Manjunath started his acting career when he was just three years old. By the time he was 11, Manjunath had appeared i...
24. Girish Karnad
Born on 19th May 1938, Girish Raghunath Karnad is a multi-faceted artiste; he is not only an actor, but also a writer, director and playwright. He has mainly worked in South Indian films. He was awarded the Jnanpith Award during 1998; this award is the highest literary recognition in India. Girish Karnad has been working on plays for around 40 years. His subject of interest is mythology and history. He has also done translation of his plays into English language. Moreover, his translated plays in regional languages were directed by many directors.
During the 60s Karnad was an outstanding playwright and Kannada world witnessed Modern Indian playwrighting through him. Kannada literature was carried away by the Western literature during the time when Karnad stepped into writing plays. Here, then Karn...
25. Shankar Nag
Shankar Nag, most influential and talented Kannada actor and director, who acted in around 90 Kannada movies, in a career spanning 12 years from 1978 to 1990. Shankar also produced R.K. Narayan's novel, Malgudi Days as a teleserial and also acted in it. He was also a part a Kannada theater. He co-wrote 22 June 1897, an Indian national award-winning Marathi film. One of his films, Autoraja is appreciated by the audience to the level that even now his posters are there on auto rickshaws of Karnataka even after 25 years of his death. He was also focused towards social improvement as his films portrayed that. He was of friendly nature and loved by all. Shankar Nag was a versatile personality and has left his mark on the Kannada Film Industry in many ways. Nationally, he will be remembered for his famous wor...
26. Harish Patel
A versatile actor who has endeared Indian television and movie viewers with his acting skills as a comedian, a supporting actor, and as a villain too. Harish Patel is a veteran actor who started his acting career at very early age of seven as he worked in the grand television serial Ramayana produced by Ramanand Sagar. It was aired on DD National News Channel in the year 1987. During the same time, he also appeared on various episodes of another popular Hindi television serial Malgudi Days. Later on, Harish Patel joined Indian National Theatre and worked a lot as a theatre artist. Indian theatre director Sara Prabhu and Harish Patel enjoyed a great run of success on Indian theatre.
Harish Patel also got chances to perform for various Bollywood projects and movies which made him popular for his versatile acting skills. It should...
27. Anant Nag
Anant Nagarakatte was born in the year 1948 on 4th September. He is a very popular actor and a politician. He is a Karnataka based actor who had given many hit movies as an actor. He is regarded as one of the prominent Kannada actors. He had reflected it in all his movies. In-fact, that is why he is known to be an actor who had never met any failures as far as his movies are concerned. Apart from acting in Kannada movies, he had also acted in other film industries.
He acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Marathi and Hindi movies as well. This shows his intention of showcasing his talent irrespective of any film industry. His conviction in acting could be the only possibl...
28. Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan was born in Mysore. He attended high school and obtained degree at the National College, Bangalore. He adopted the name Vishnuvardhan at the insistence of Puttanna Kanagal, who was like is godfather and mentor, who also directed his maiden film, Naagarahaavu. This gave him the recognition of the ‘angry young man of Kannada cinema. “Ramachaari”, the character Vishnuvardhan played in Nagarahaavu, is still considered as among the best roles that have donned in Kannada cinema to date. Vishnuvardhan did not look back since then and went on to win many state honors and five film fare awards. Vishnuvardhan was popularly called by his fans as Sahasa Simha and Abhinava Bhargava.
Vishnuvardhan, a versatile actor, made his debut into the industry through "Vamshavruksha", directed by Girish Karnad in 1972, ...
29. Ramesh Bhat
Ramesh Bhat is the most familiar face in Kannada television and movies. Ramesh Bhat started his career dabbling in theatre with groups like Nataranga, Spandana and Benaka.
The actor once known for his close association with Shankar Nag slowly made his way into television much to his fans delight.
The actor made his debut in Kannada movie Minchina Ota and went on to act in a number of movies like Nodi Swamy Navirodu Heege, Ganeshana Maduve, Gauri Ganehsa, Ganesha Subramanya etc. He was mainly known for his comedy roles which he acted with aplomb.
He continues to be part of the film industry with movies like Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna and is currently filming for Thandana Thandana.The talented actor then ventured into direction with his movie Parameshi Prema Prasanga.The movie ...
30. Sameer Rajda
Sameer Rajda is a talented television actor. He is known for his work in Gujarati films. Mulraj Rajda (actor) is his father. He was well known by the name Shatrughna, in the serials Ramayan & Luv Kush, directed by Ramanand Sagar. Ramayan was a television serial based on Hindu epic. This serial was shown during the year 1987-1988. This serial, was completely based on Valmki’s Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas. According to the epic, Shatrughna i.e. Sameer was the youngest brother of Lord Rama. This serial, was telecasted on Doordarshan and ran till 78 episodes.
Luv Kush was a follow up of the successful serial Ramayan. This serial was also directed by Ramanand Sagar with the same cast. This serial, was about the last book of the epic Ramayana named Uttara Kanda. This serial showed the life of Luv, el...
31. Deven Bhojani
Deven Bhojani is an Indian TV serial actor who was born on November 25, 1969 in Mumbai, India. He is also a director and a theatre artist who graduated Commerce at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. Afterwards, Deven studied film direction to pursue his dream of becoming a director at the University of South California.
He got his fame for his Gujarati shows and drama plays. He was debuted as a television actor in the popular, Malgudi Days which was aired in 1987. He portrayed the role of Nitya on the show’s Episode Number 13. He got his fame for doing comedic and supporting roles. He received the Best Director awards for directing the 2005 comedy sitcom, Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai in The ITA Award, Apsara Award and The Indian Telly Award.
Deven was most interestingly known for ...
32. Chetan
Chetan is a veteran actor in Tamil serial industry having been in the industry for more than a decade and a half. He got his big break in the mega-hit thriller TV serial "Vidaadhu Karuppu" in the 'Marmadesam' series. While he was the assistant director to K.Shankar, he happened to land the pivotal role of ‘Karuppu’ in the series. He has said to have gotten into films by mere accident after completing his management studies post graduation. After many failed attempts to get into the film and ad industry in Hindi and English. He decided to move to Chennai, in search of Tamil opportunities.
He entered into the film industry through Jayam Ravi-starter Dhaam Dhoom and has completed eight movies till date including the hit flicks ‘Polladhavan’ and ‘ Padikkadhavan’...