Rishab Shetty

2022 was a banner year for Rishab Shetty, with his critically-acclaimed Kantara (2022). His father is an astrologer, and his mother is a homemaker. Born as Prashant Shetty, he later adopted the name Rishab Shetty for his screen persona.

After completing his schooling in Kundapura, Shetty decided to pursue Bachelor of Commerce at Vijaya College (BHS FGC) in Jayanagar, Bengaluru. He attended the Government Film and Television Institute in Bengaluru to earn a diploma in filmmaking.

Shetty nurtured dreams of joining the film industry right from his childhood. While studying in class 6, he joined the Durga Parameshwari Yuvaka Sangha and performed as a Yakshagana artist. While at Vijaya College, he joined its theatre group Ranga Sourabha.

Shetty won the best actor award for his title role in the play Ghashiram Kotwal at the national level theatre contest. After Shetty graduated, he started looking for opportunities to get a break as a movie actor. Parallelly, he started doing several odd jobs, such as supplying mineral water cans.

Armed with his diploma in filmmaking, Shetty joined the industry as a clap boy and made his way to become an assistant director in the Kannada movie Cyanide (2006). Shetty's foray into acting began with Tuglak (2012) in the role of a villain. He went on to act in movies like Attahaasa (2013), Lucia (2013), and Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) before he donned the hat of a director.

Shetty's directorial debut was Ricky (2016), in which he also played a small role. His next film as a director and actor was Kirik Party (2016), which became a runaway hit. Shetty was adjudicated the Best Director at the 6th SIIMA Awards and the 64th Filmfare Awards South. The film won the 2016 Karnataka State Film Awards as the Best Family Entertainer.

Shetty's next film was Sarkari. Hi. Pra. Shale Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai (2018), where his acting and directorial efforts were applauded by the audience and critics alike. For this film, he won the 66th National Film Awards for Best Children's Film and the 2018 Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Family Entertainer.

As an actor, Shetty's next film was Ambi Ning Vysaitho (2018). Shetty made his debut as the male lead actor in Bell Bottom (2019). His journey as an actor continued with films like Katha Sangama (2019) and Hero (2021).

Shetty's role as a gangster in Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021) earned him appreciation from the audience and critics alike. His next movie was a dual role in Harikathe Alla Girikathe (2022).

Shetty's next film was a critical and commercial blockbuster called Kantara (2022). He directed and acted in dual roles as the protagonist and his father in this Kannada action thriller. It became the second-highest revenue-generating Kannada movie of all time.

Shetty has also made cameo appearances over the years in movies like Avane Srimannarayana (2019), SriKrishna@gmail.com (2021), and Mishan Impossible (2022).

Rishab Shetty's wife is a software engineer, who has also been a costume designer for a few Kannada movies. The couple has two children, a son and daughter.