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.
Bangalore Saroja Devi is an Indian actress who has acted in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films. She acted in around 200 films over seven decades. She is known by the epithets "Abhinaya Saraswathi" in Kannada and "Kannadathu Paingili" in Tamil. She is one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema.
Divya Spandana, known professionally as Ramya, is an Indian actress, producer and politician. She served as the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She primarily works in Kannada films, and has also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. Ramya is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards South, an Udaya Award, and a Karnataka State Film Award.
Priya Mani Raj, known professionally as Priyamani, is an Indian actress and television personality who predominantly works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards South and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Mungaru Male is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film co-written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by E. Krishnappa. It stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film is believed to have shaped and strengthened the careers of Ganesh; Pooja Gandhi; director Yograj Bhat; lyricist Jayant Kaikini, choreographers A. Harsha and Imran Sardaria; composer Mano Murthy; and made Bollywood playback singers Sonu Nigam, Kunal Ganjawala and Udit Narayan popular in Karnataka.
Sudeep Sanjeev, also known as Sudeepa or Kichcha Sudeep, is an Indian actor, director, producer, screenwriter, television presenter and singer, who primarily works in Kannada films. He has also worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. He is one of the most celebrated stars and one of the highest paid actors of Kannada cinema. He is also one of the first Kannada actors to be listed in the Forbes list of top 100 celebrities of India since 2013. He has received several awards including four Filmfare Awards South, one Karnataka State Film Award and one Nandi Award.
Ganesh Kishan, known mononymously as Ganesh, is an Indian actor, director, producer and television presenter known for his work in Kannada cinema. Through his career in films and television shows, he has become one of the most popular celebrities and highest-paid actors in Kannada cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including two Filmfare Awards.
Yogaraj Bhat is an Indian film-maker, director, screenwriter, lyricist and producer who primarily works in Kannada cinema. He is most known for the 2006 film Mungaru Male. The film recorded the highest box-office collections in the history of Kannada cinema at the time of its release and the longest running film at a multiplex.
Jayant Kaikini is a poet, short story writer, playwright, columnist in Kannada and a lyricist and script writer in Kannada cinema. He has published seven short story collections, six poetry collections, four essay collections and three plays so far. He is valued as one of the best writers in Kannada literature and has revolutionized the field by giving it a fresh new perspective. He has bagged many notable awards like 'Karnataka Sahitya Academy' award(1974,1982,1989,1996), Kusumagraj National Literary Award (2010), Katha Award for Creative Fiction (1996), DSC South Asian Literature Prize (2018) amidst others. Kaikini is regarded as one of the most significant writers in Kannada today. Kaikini has been conferred the honorary doctorate from Tumkur University.
Gaalipata (transl. Kite) is a 2008 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat. It features an ensemble cast consisting of Ganesh, Anant Nag, Rajesh Krishnan, Diganth, Daisy Bopanna, Neethu and Bhavana Rao. The plot revolves around three friends who, debilitated of city life, decide to spend some time in the paternal house of one of them, at a picturesque location atop a hill station. Spending a gala time there, they become romantically involved with the three daughters of an avid hunter.
Diganth Manchale, known professionally as Diganth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Kannada films. Diganth made his acting debut in Miss California (2006) and is best known for his performance in Gaalipata (2008). He is a recipient of two South Indian International Movie Awards along with nominations for four Filmfare Awards South.
Aindrita Ray is an Indian actress who primarily works in Kannada also appeared in Bengali and Hindi films. Ray is a recipient of two South Indian International Movie Awards, along with nominations for five Filmfare Awards South.
Radhika Pandit is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Kannada films. Considered as one of the most popular and highest paid Kannada actress, she is a recipient of several accolades including three Filmfare Awards South, one Karnataka State Film Award and one South Indian International Movie Award.
Sharmiela Mandre is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Kannada films. She made her acting debut with Sajni (2007) and then received success with Krishna, the same year. Mandre turned producer with the Tamil film Evanukku Engeyo Matcham Irukku (2018).
Naveen Kumar Gowda, known by his stage name Yash, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Kannada films. He is a recipient of three Filmfare Awards South and two SIIMA awards. Yash began his career with appearances in several television series in the 2000s. He made his film debut in 2007 with Jambada Hudugi. The 2008 romantic drama Moggina Manasu, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, proved to be a breakthrough role for Yash.
Dayal Padmanabhan is an Indian film writer, director and producer, mainly working in Kannada cinema who is a two times Karnataka State award winner and one time Indian Panorama, IFFI( Golden Jublee edition)entrant.
Sanju Weds Geetha is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Nagashekar and produced by Pramod Narayan and Murali Mohan. The film stars Srinagar Kitty and Ramya in the lead roles. Jassie Gift composed the soundtrack, while Sadhu Kokila composed the background score.
Male Barali Manju Irali is a 2009 Kannada-language drama film directed by Vijayalakshmi Singh. It stars Srinagar Kitty, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Naga Kiran in the lead roles. The movie draws inspiration from Sabrina starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, and Greg Kinnear and was directed by Sydney Pollack. The film opened to positive reviews in July 2009.
