Rishab Shetty (born 7 July 1983), is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Kannada cinema. He is known for his roles in Bell Bottom, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, and Kantara franchise which was his highest-grossing directorial, and earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Rishab Shetty | |
|---|---|
 Rishab in 2025 | |
| Born | Prashanth Shetty 7 July 1983 Keradi, Karnataka, India |
| Alma mater | Vijaya College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse | Pragati Shetty (m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
Shetty's acting debut was with Tuglak (2012). He next played an important role in Ulidavaru Kandante (2014) and made his directorial debut with Ricky (2016). His next directorial Kirik Party (2016) was a commercial success and fetched him Filmfare Award for Best Director, and SIIMA Award for Best Director.
Early life
Prashanth Shetty was born on 7 July 1979 in Keradi village in Kundapura Taluk of Udupi District, Karnataka to a Bunt family. He did his schooling in Kundapura and later joined Vijaya College, Bengaluru to pursue B.Com. He started his theatre journey by doing yakshagana plays in his hometown actively while studying in Bengaluru. He was appreciated for his work and success in these plays encouraged him to pursue acting as a profession.
Career
After his graduation, Shetty worked several odd jobs like selling water cans, real estate and did hotel work while also trying for roles in movies. While working odd jobs, 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, then as a spot boy, and then was an assistant director. He met Rakshit Shetty while working in the industry, they became friends later on.
His first major acting role was in Tuglak (2012). He played a small but impactful 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. 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 at the box office. After this, 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. His major role after this was that 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 its director 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 next 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
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
As actor
- All films are in Kannada language, unless otherwise mentioned
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tuglak | Villain | ||
| 2013 | Attahasa | Undercover Cop | ||
| Lucia | Police Inspector | |||
| 2014 | Ulidavaru Kandanthe | Raghu | ||
| 2016 | Ricky | Radhakrishna's Friend | ||
| 2018 | Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale | Inspector Kempraju | ||
| Ambi Ning Vayassaytho | Director of the movie | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2019 | Bell Bottom | Detective Divakara | ||
| Katha Sangama | Mentally Disturbed Person | |||
| Avane Srimannarayana | Cowboy Krishna | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2021 | Hero | Hero | ||
| SriKrishna@gmail.com | Police Inspector | Cameo appearance | ||
| Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | Hari | |||
| 2022 | Mishan Impossible | Khaleel | Telugu film; Cameo appearance | |
| Harikathe Alla Girikathe | Giri and Himself | Dual roles | ||
| Kantara | Kaadubettu Shiva and Annappa | |||
| 2023 | Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare | Senior | Cameo appearance | |
| 2025 | Kantara: Chapter 1 | Berme, Mayakara, Annappa and Kaadubettu Shiva | Four roles |
As director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ricky | Debut as director |
| Kirik Party | ||
| 2018 | Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | |
| 2022 | Kantara | |
| 2025 | Kantara: Chapter 1 |
As producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | |
| 2019 | Katha Sangama | |
| 2021 | Hero | Also co-writer |
| Pedro | ||
| 2022 | Shivamma Yarehanchinala | |
| 2024 | Laughing Buddha |
Awards and nominations
| Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirik Party | 2016 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Family Entertainer | Won | |
| 64th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Kannada | Won | ||
| 2nd IIFA Utsavam | Best Director | Nominated | ||
| 6th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Won | ||
| Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai | 66th National Film Awards | Best Children's Film | Won | |
| 2018 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Family Entertainer | Won | ||
| 66th Filmfare Awards South | Best Film – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | |||
| 8th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| Best Film – Kannada | Nominated | |||
| Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | 10th SIIMA Awards | Best Actor – Kannada | Nominated | |
| 67th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actor – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| Kantara | 54th International Film Festival of India | IFFI Special Jury Award | Won | |
| 11th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Kannada | Won | ||
| Best Actor (Critics) | Won | |||
| 68th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Kannada | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor – Kannada | Won | |||
| 70th National Film Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Won | ||
| Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Won |