Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj, better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered a cultural icon and holds a matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora, among whom he is popularly called as Nata Saarvabhouma, Bangarada Manushya, Vara Nata, Gaana Gandharva, Rasikara Raja, Kannada Kanteerava and Rajanna/Annavru. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1983 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. He is the only lead actor to win National Award for Playback singing. His 39 movies have been remade 63 times in 9 languages by 34 actors making him the first actor whose movies were remade more than fifty times and the first actor whose movies were remade in nine languages. He was the first actor in India to enact a role which was based on James Bond in a full-fledged manner. The success of his movie Jedara Bale is credited to have widely inspired a Desi bond genre in other Indian film industries. On the occasion of the "Centenary of Indian Cinema" in April 2013, Forbes included his performance in Bangaarada Manushya on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Upon his death, The New York Times had described him as one of India's most popular movie stars.
Upendra Rao is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, playback singer, lyricist and politician who worked primarily in Kannada films. He has also worked in a few Telugu films. In 2017, He joined the political party Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha, before quitting the party in 2018 due to internal differences and formed another party named Uttama Prajaakeeya Party (UPP), which was based on the principles of Prajakiya. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Angkor University in 2015.
Sampath Kumar, known by his stage name Vishnuvardhan, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Kannada cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam language films. Vishnuvardhan has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 220 films. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, and holds the status of a matinée idol among the Kannada diaspora. He is popularly called as Sahasa Simha, Dada and The Angry Young Man of Kannada Cinema. Vishnuvardhan's contributions to Kannada cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of Karnataka honoured him with the Rajyothsava Prashasthi in 1990 and the Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his contributions to Kannada cinema. He was called The Phoenix of Indian Cinema. In 2008, a poll conducted by CNN-IBN listed Vishnuvardhan as the most popular star in the Kannada film industry.
Srinivasa Sarja, better known by his stage name Arjun Sarja or simply Arjun, is an Indian actor, producer, and director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema in addition to Telugu and Kannada films and a few Malayalam and Hindi films. Referred to by the media and his fans as "Action King" for his roles in action films, Arjun has acted in more than 160 films, most of them being lead roles. He is one of few South Indian actors to attract fan following from multiple states of India. He has directed 12 films and also produced and distributed a number of films.
Gangaraju, professionally known as Hamsalekha, is an Indian film composer and songwriter who works in South Indian cinema, predominantly in the Kannada film industry since the late 1980s. He is also a screenplay writer, dialogue writer, instrumentalist and conductor, having composed and written over 500 albums.
Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar is an Indian director, actor, screenwriter and a lyricist who predominantly works in Kannada Cinema. He made his film debut as a screenplay writer in Kadina Benki (1986) which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the Karnataka State Award. His directorial debut was Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda (1991) for which he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story.
Veeraswamy Ravichandran, known mononymously as Ravichandran, is an Indian actor, director, producer, music director, lyricist and editor working predominantly in Kannada cinema. The son of film producer N. Veeraswamy, he continues to produce and distribute films under his father's production house, Sri Eswari Productions. He is popularly referred to as "Crazy Star" by the media and his followers.
Ramesh Aravind, known mononymously as Ramesh, is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and television presenter. Ramesh has predominantly worked in Kannada and Tamil films along with a few Telugu and Hindi films. Starting his acting career with Sundara Swapnagalu in 1986, Ramesh has appeared in over 140 films besides directing about 10 films. He has so far received two Karnataka State Film Awards namely, for America America (1997) and Hoomale (1998) besides winning Best Story award for his writing; two Filmfare Awards South, two Udaya Film Awards and Suvarna Film Awards.
Janardhan, known by his stage name Bank Janardhan is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry. He is well-known for his comedy and drama roles in various Kannada films and television series. Some of the notable films of Janardhan as an actor include News (2005), Shhh! (1993) and Tharle Nan Maga (1992). He acted in kannada television serials such as Paapa Pandu.
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of India's most versatile and innovative filmmakers. He has directed around sixty films across multiple genres and languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and English and is credited with revolutionizing South Indian cinema through his experimental approach. He has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, including two National Film Awards, five Nandi Awards, three Karnataka State Film Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, he was honoured with the Life Achievement Award by the Film Federation of India.
Shashank is an Indian film director, screenwriter and lyricist who works in Kannada cinema. He made his debut as a director with the 2007 film Sixer. His second directorial Moggina Manasu (2008) received critical acclaim for its screenplay and its coming-of-age theme. He went on to direct other successful films in the romance genre such as Krishnan Love Story (2010), Bachchan (2013), Krishna-Leela (2015), Mungaaru Male 2 (2016) and Love 360 (2022) He is also credited to have introduced actors Yash, Radhika Pandit, Prajwal Devraj and Neha Shetty who went on to become successful actors in Kannada cinema.
Vijay Kashi is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry. Some of his notable films are Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda (1992), Mangalyam Tantunanena (1998), Suryavamsha (1999).
Rekha Das is an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry. Some of the notable films of Rekha Das as an actress include Shwethaagni (1991), Shanthi Kranthi (1991), and Hoovu Hannu (1993).
Bhargavi Narayan was an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry, and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. Her notable films include Eradu Kanasu, Hanthakana Sanchu, Pallavi Anupallavi, and Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake.
Keerthiraj is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry. Some of the notable films of Keerthiraj as an actor include Gajanura Gandu (1996), Bhanda Nanna Ganda (1992), and S. P. Bhargavi (1991).
Sihi Kahi Geetha is an Indian actress and voice-over artist known for her work in Kannada cinema and television. She is noted for performances in Nishyabda (1998), Surya Vamsha (1999), Maleyali Jotheyali (2009) and Actor.
Kunigal Nagabhushan was an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry. His films include S.P. Sangliyana 2 (1990), C.B.I. Shankar (1989), Daari Tappida Maga (1975).
Nirmala Chennappa or Nirmala Sathya is an Indian film director, producer and actress in the Kannada film industry best known for her role in Thallana (2013) for which she won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress. She participated as a contestant in Bigg Boss Kannada season 8.
R. Vijaykumar, known by his stage name Sarigama Viji, is an Indian actor, writer and television personality known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is also a theatre artist, and is based in Karnataka.
