List of Tulu people

Last updated September 04, 2025

This is a list of notable people who belong to an ethnic Tuluva community and who natively speak the Tulu language.^[1]

Journalists

Kayyar Kinhanna Rai – Indian independence activist and writer
V. T. Rajshekar – founder and editor of the Dalit Voice
K. K. Shetty – freedom fighter (was the editor of Navayuga for a short period)
Mumthaaz Nelliadka - News anchor in TV Vikrama
Jaya Prakash Shetty - News Anchor in Republic Kannada

Freedom fighters

Kedambadi Ramaiha Gowda
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Ammembala Balappa
Abbakka Chowta
Karnad Sadashiva Rao
Ubaar Manja Baidyer
Shrivinasa Upadhyaya Paniyaadi (S.U. Paniyaadi)
Satyamitra Bangera
K.K Shetty
Krishnaraya Kodgi
Aerya Lakshminarayana Alva
Mulki Ramakrishna Poonja
V.N.Shenoy
Kayyara Kinhanna Rai
Barrister Attavara Shilpa
Bantakal Lakshminarayana Sharma

Judiciary and lawyers

K. S. Hegde – former speaker of Lok Sabha; former judge of the Supreme Court of India
N. Santosh Hegde – Karnataka Lokayuktha; former judge of the Supreme Court of India
Rohini Salian – public prosecutor
Kalmanje Jagannatha Shetty (1926–2015), former judge, Supreme Court of India and former chief justice, Allahabad High Court
Kedambadi Jagannath Shetty – former judge of Karnataka High Court

Literature, philosophy, and religion

P. Gururaja Bhat – historian and writer of Tulunadu
Bannanje Govindacharya – Vedic scholar
Ratnavarma Heggade
Veerendra Heggade – philanthropist
Padmanabh Jaini - Scholar of Buddhiam and Jainism
M.K.Seetharam Kulal – Tulu-Kannada dramatist, poet; Karnataka State Tulu Sahithya Academy Award (2014)
Madhvacharya – proponent of Dvaita (Dwaita) philosophy
Muddana – poet
Venkataraja Puninchathaya – scholar
Kayyar Kinhanna Rai – poet and activist
Bola Chittaranjan Das Shetty – writer
Vishwesha Teertharu (Pejavara Shreegalavaru)
Vadiraja Tirtha - Dvaita philosopher

Health care

B. M. Hegde – educationist and surgeon
Dinker Belle Rai – Indian American vascular surgeon, inventor, athlete and philosopher^[2]
Devi Shetty – philanthropist and surgeon
Shantharam Shetty – orthopaedic surgeon
K. N. Udupa – Padma Shri recipient

Politics

V. S. Acharya – former home minister, Karnataka state and former member of Karnataka legislative assembly and council
A. Shanker Alva – former member of Parliament, Mangalore
K. Nagappa Alva – former member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (1970–1976) and health minister, Karnataka State (1962–1967)
Raghupati Bhat – former member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.), elected from Udupi constituency
D. V. Sadananda Gowda – former Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, former Minister of Law and Justice, Former Minister of Railways, former Chief Minister of Karnataka
K. Jayaprakash Hegde – former member of Parliament
Shobha Karandlaje – member of Parliament, Udupi Lok sabha constituency, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries
V. Dhananjay Kumar – former Union Minister
Nalin Kumar Kateel – member of Parliament of Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency and former President of BJP-Karnataka
Manorama Madhwaraj – former member of Parliament, Udupi; former MLA Udupi
Lalaji Mendon – MLA, Kaup Vidhansabha
Veerappa Moily – former Chief Minister of Karnataka, member of the 16th Lok Sabha
Janardhana Poojary – former Union Minister of State for Finance
I. Rama Rai – former member of Parliament, Kasaragod
Ramanath Rai – Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology
Kumble Sundara Rao – former MLA of Surathkal constituency
Halady Srinivas Shetty – MLA 2013 assembly for Kundapura, Karnataka
I. M. Jayarama Shetty – former member of Parliament, Udupi
K. K. Shetty – former member of Parliament, Mangalore
Suresh Shetty – MLA, Andheri (East), Maharashtra
B. Nagaraja Shetty – former Minister and MLA of Bantwal constituency, Karnataka

Artists

K. K. Hebbar – painter
Kudroli Ganesh - Magician
Prakash Shetty – cartoonist
Sudarshan Shetty (born 1961) – artist
R. Verman – art director

Film directors and producers

Ranjith Bajpe – film director and screenwriter, known for his work in Tulu cinema
Anup Bhandari – film director, music director, lyricist and playback singer
Ramchandra P. N. – filmmaker
Manmohan Shetty – founder of Adlabs Films^[3]
Raj B. Shetty
Rakshit Shetty
Rohit Shetty – film director and producer
B. Vittalacharya – film director of Kannada, Telugu-language cinema

Actors

Music

Sandeep Chowta – music director
Kadri Gopalnath – saxophonist
Gurukiran – music director
Ganesh Hegde – singer, performer, video director and Bollywood choreographer
Manikanth Kadri – film score and soundtrack composer and singer
V. Manohar – music director, lyricist, film director and actor
Vittal Ramamurthy – violinist
Shweta Shetty – pop singer
Vidyabhushana – singer

Science and technology

Vittal Rai – scientist
Rajini Rao – physiologist
Udupi Ramachandra Rao: scientist
Kalidas Shetty – food scientist
H. V. K. Udupa – electrochemical scientist

Sports

Ashwini Akkunji – national-level athlete
Ashish Ballal – former captain of the Indian Field Hockey team and Arjuna awardee
Budhi Kunderan – cricketer
Mamatha Poojary – kabadi player
Nikhil Poojary – footballer
Satheesha Rai – weightlifter, Olympian and Arjuna awardee
Tanush Kotian – cricketer
Shodhan Rai – international bodybuilder and Ekalavya Award winner
Vandana Rao – national sprinter, 1990s
Chirag Shetty – badminton player
Pooja Shri Shetty – karateka
Vijith Shetty – footballer
Vikrant Shetty – United Arab Emirates cricketer
Gundibail Sunderam – cricketer
Siddhanth Thingalaya – national sprinter
Shreyas Iyer - Indian Cricketer

Bankers

U. R. Bhat – director of Karnataka Bank
A. B. Shetty – founder of Vijaya Bank and politician
Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty – chairman of Vijaya Bank
V. P. Shetty – chairman of JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co. Pvt. Ltd., JM Financial Asset Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. and JM Financial Products Ltd.

Business persons

Muthappa Rai – businessman
A. B. Shetty (1883–1960) – founder of Vijaya Bank
Ajit Shetty – Belgian businessman; former chairman of the board of directors of Janssen Pharmaceutica
B. R. Shetty – CMD New Medical Centre, billionaire; Padma Shri recipient
Devi Shetty – founder of Narayana Health
Manmohan Shetty – founder of Adlabs Imagica
Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty – chairman of Vijaya Bank
R. N. Shetty – CMD RNS Infrastructure and hereditary administrator of Murudeshwara Shiva Temple
Raj Shetty – founder of Ramee Hotels: a billionaire hotelier from Dubai

War heroes

Dinesh Chandra Bhandary – Vir Chakra recipient

References

↑ "Tulu speakers to meet in Madikeri on June 12". Mangaloreannews.com. 9 June 2016.
↑ Joe Gonsalves (20 February 2008). "M'lore: Dr Dinkar Rai Conferred Chairmanship of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan". Daijiworld Media Network. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
↑ D.P. Satish (29 January 2007). "Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya Rai – Bunts and Bubblies". CNN-INB. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

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[1] "Tulu speakers to meet in Madikeri on June 12". Mangaloreannews.com. 9 June 2016.

[M'lore:_Dr_Dinkar_Rai_Conferred_Chairmanship_of_Bharatiya_Vidya_Bhavan-2] Joe Gonsalves (20 February 2008). "M'lore: Dr Dinkar Rai Conferred Chairmanship of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan". Daijiworld Media Network. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

[Shilpa_Shetty,_Aishwarya_Rai_–_Bunts_and_Bubblies-3] D.P. Satish (29 January 2007). "Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya Rai – Bunts and Bubblies". CNN-INB. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

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