# Rishab Shetty

Prashanth Shetty (born 7 July 1983), known professionally as Rishab Shetty, is an Indian actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter who works in Kannada cinema . He is known for his critical and commercial blockbuster, Kantara, which he directed and also starred in as the main lead. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, two Karnataka State Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards.

## Early life

Shetty was born on 7 July 1983 in Kadri neighborhood in Mangaluru City of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka to a Bunt family. He did his schooling from Kundapura in Udupi district, Karnataka and later joined Vijaya College, Bengaluru to pursue B.Com. He started his theatre journey by doing yakshagana plays in Kundapura. He actively participated in plays while studying in Bengaluru. He was appreciated for his work and success in these plays encouraged him to pursue acting as a professional career.

## Career

After his college, Shetty worked in several odd jobs like selling water cans, real estate and did hotel work while also parallelly trying his chances in movies. While working he also acquired a diploma in film direction from the Government Film and TV Institute in Bangalore. He started working in the film industry as a clap boy, spot boy, assistant director etc. He met Rakshit Shetty while working in the industry, they became friends later on.
His first major role was in Tuglak (2012). He played a small role of a police officer in Pawan Kumar's Lucia and then played an important role in Ulidavaru Kandante, which was directed by Rakshit Shetty. Then in 2016, his directorial debut Ricky starring Rakshit Shetty received an average response at the box office. In the same year, he directed Kirik Party, which was an industry hit in Kannada cinema, at the box office. After Kirik Party, Shetty directed Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai, which received critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film.
He debuted as a lead actor in Bell Bottom (2019) which was well received. Rishab Shetty's major role after Bell Bottom was of Mangaluru-based gangster Hari in the film Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021). The film was a commercial and critical success in which the performance of Rishab Shetty and Raj B. Shetty was widely appreciated by critics.
He then appeared briefly in two films, Mishan Impossible and Harikathe Alla Girikathe (both in 2022), the former being his Telugu film debut. Shetty collaborated with Hombale Films for his directorial Kantara in which he was also the lead actor. It was Initially released only in Kannada and was later dubbed into other languages, after receiving critical success. Kantara is the second highest-grossing Kannada film of all-time worldwide. At the 54th IFFI 2023, he won the IFFI Special Jury Award.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |

### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | Tuglak | Villain | |
| 2013 | Attahasa | Undercover Cop | |
| 2013 | Lucia | Police Constable | |
| 2014 | Ulidavaru Kandanthe | Raghu | |
| 2016 | Ricky | Radhakrishna's Friend | |
| 2018 | Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale | Inspector Kempraju | |
| 2018 | Ambi Ning Vayassaytho | Film director | Cameo appearance |
| 2019 | Bell Bottom | Detective Divakara | |
| 2019 | Katha Sangama | Mentally Disturbed Person | |
| 2019 | Avane Srimannarayana | Cowboy Krishna | Cameo appearance |
| 2021 | Hero | Hero | |
| 2021 | SriKrishna@gmail.com | Police inspector | Cameo appearance |
| 2021 | Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | Hari | |
| 2022 | Mishan Impossible | Khaleel | Telugu film; Cameo appearance |
| 2022 | Harikathe Alla Girikathe | Giri / Himself | |
| 2022 | Kantara | Shiva / Kantara | |
| 2023 | Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare | Senior | cameo appearance |
| 2025 | Kantara: Chapter 1 † | Shiva / Kantara | |
| 2026 | Jai Hanuman † | Hanuman | Telugu film |
| 2027 | The Pride Of Bharat Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj † | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj | Hindi film |

### As director, writer and producer

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Notes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
| 2016 | Ricky | Yes | Yes | No | Debut as director |
| 2016 | Kirik Party | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | Katha Sangama | No | No | Yes | Creative head |
| 2021 | Hero | No | No | Yes | Co-writer |
| 2021 | Pedro | No | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Shivamma Yarehanchinala | No | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Kantara | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2024 | Laughing Buddha | No | No | Yes | |
| 2025 | Vaghachipani † | No | No | Yes | |
| 2025 | Kantara: Chapter 1 † | Yes | Yes | No | |

## Awards and nominations

| Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
| Kirik Party | 2016 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Family Entertainer | Won | |
| Kirik Party | 64th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Kannada | Won | |
| Kirik Party | 2nd IIFA Utsavam | Best Director | Nominated | |
| Kirik Party | 6th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Won | |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 66th National Film Awards | Best Children's Film | Won | |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 2018 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Family Entertainer | Won | [34] [35] |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 66th Filmfare Awards South | Best Film – Kannada | Nominated | [36] [37] |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 66th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | [36] [37] |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 8th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | [38] [39] |
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 8th SIIMA Awards | Best Film – Kannada | Nominated | [38] [39] |
| Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | 10th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor – Kannada | Nominated | |
| Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | 67th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actor – Kannada | Nominated | |
| Kantara | 54th International Film Festival of India | IFFI Special Jury Award | Won | |
| Kantara | 11th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Won | |
| Kantara | 11th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor (Critics) | Won | |
| Kantara | 68th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | |
| Kantara | 68th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actor – Kannada | Won | |
| Kantara | 70th National Film Awards | National Film Award for Best Actor | Won | |
| Kantara | 70th National Film Awards | National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Won | |
| Kantara | Silver Lotus Award | Best Actor - Kannada | Won | |