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.
Girish Karnad was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi films. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the coming of age of modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He was a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India.
Puneeth Rajkumar, affectionately known as Appu, was an former Indian actor, playback singer, film producer, television presenter and philanthropist who worked in Kannada cinema. He was the youngest son of legendary actor and matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar. He was one of the most popular actors in Kannada cinema. He appeared as a lead in 32 films. As a child, he appeared in many films. His performances as a child actor in Vasantha Geetha (1980), Bhagyavantha (1981), Chalisuva Modagalu (1982), Eradu Nakshatragalu (1983), Bhakta Prahaladha (1983), Yarivanu (1984) and Bettada Hoovu (1985) were praised. He won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for his role of Ramu in Bettada Hoovu. He also won Karnataka State Award Best Child artist for Chalisuva Modagalu and Eradu Nakshatragalu. Puneeth's first lead role was in 2002's Appu. In a career spanning three decades, he has won one National Film Award, four Karnataka State Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South and five SIIMA awards. He was conferred with the Doctorate by Mysuru University. The Karnataka Government conferred the state's highest civilian award, Karnataka Ratna, to Puneeth Rajkumar on 1 November 2022, posthumously.
Prakash Raj is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English, and Hindi-language films, he is the recipient of several accolades, including five National Film Awards, eight Nandi Awards, eight Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and three Vijay Awards. Apart from his native languages Tulu and Kannada, Raj's fluency in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, English, and Marathi has placed him among the most sought after actors in Indian cinema.
Gubbi Hampanna Veeranna was an Indian theatre director. He was one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, Gubbi Sree Channabasaveshwara Nataka Company, which played a crucial role in promoting the Kannada theatre field. He has been conferred the title Nataka Ratna meaning "A Precious Jewel" in the theatre world. Gubbi Veeranna laid the foundation stone for the Kannada film industry. He established a studio, produced silent films in early days of cinema and produced good Kannada short films, He built theaters and introduced many actors including Dr Rajkumar, G.V Iyer, B.V Karanth, Girish Karnad and others to the Kannada film industry.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, popularly known as, KaRaVe and abbreviated as the KRV is a Pro-Kannada organization located in the state of Karnataka, India. The organization claims to have more than 6 million members enrolled from around the world spanning to about 12,000 branches across Karnataka in all 30 districts as well as international branches in the US, UK, UAE, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
Talakadu Srinivasaiah Nagabharana, commonly known as T. S. Nagabharana, is an Indian film director, in the Kannada film industry and a pioneer of parallel cinema. He is one of the few film directors to have straddled the mainstream and parallel cinema worlds.
Praveen D. Rao is an Indian musician, music director and a lyricist for Kannada language songs. He is based in Bangalore, India and plays the keyboard, tabla, and other instruments.
Rattihalli Nagendra Rao was an Indian theatre actor, film actor and director in South Indian cinema. Following his career in theatre, Rao turned to film a where he became an actor, director, producer, screenwriter and occasional composer. He is considered one of the most influential personalities in the history of South Indian cinema.
Benkipatna is 2015 Indian Kannada language drama film written and directed by T. K. Dayanand. It stars Prathap Narayan, Anushree and Arun Sagar in the lead roles. The supporting cast features Prakash Belawadi, Jahangir, Rangashankara Manju and B. Suresha. The film is based on real incidents that occurred in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.
Prashanth Shetty, known professionally as Rishab Shetty, is an Indian actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter who works in kannada cinema. He is known for his critical and commercial blockbuster, Kantara, which he directed and also starred in as the main lead. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, two Karnataka State Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. To have wider reach coming forward Rishab Shetty going to act only in Telugu cinema and Hindi cinema thereby confirming his unofficial retirement from Kannada cinema.
Sandhya Mendonca is an Indian writer, author, biographer, editor and publisher. Born in Bengaluru (Bangalore) in the state of Karnataka, India, she gained a BA in Economics, Political Science & Sociology from St. Joseph's College of Arts & Science and an MA in Political Science specialising in International Relations from Bangalore University. She has a Diploma in Public Relations from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. She lives in Bengaluru.
Lakshmi Chandrashekar is an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry, and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. Some of the notable films of Lakshmi Chandrashekar as an actress include Atithi (2002), Avasthe (1987), S. P. Sangliyana Part 2 (1990).
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.
Sudha Belawadi is an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry, and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. Some of the notable films of Sudha Belawadi as actress include Mathadana (2001), Mungaru Male (2006), Moggina Manasu (2008), Kaadu (1973).
D. Satya Prakash is an Indian filmmaker in Kannada cinema. His works often focus on social issues and human relationships. His debut film was Rama Rama Re... (2016), which is followed by Ondalla Eradalla (2018). His latest venture is Man of the Match (2022). Before making commercial films, Prakash directed the short film Jayanagara 4th block.
Srinivasa Prabhu is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. Some of the notable films of Srinivasa Prabhu as an actor include Bimba - Those 90 Minutes (2018), Kanooru Heggadithi (1999), Hudugaru (2011), Humble Politician Nograj (2018) etc.
Shruti Naidu is an Indian film and television producer known for her works in Kannada cinema.
Bhavani Prakash is an Indian actress in the Kannada film industry, and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India.
Nativism in Karnataka refers to the socio-political movements and policies aimed at prioritising the rights and identity of the native Kannada-speaking population, who make up the majority of the ethnic groups in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. These efforts often focus on promoting the Kannada language, ensuring local representation in employment, and preserving regional culture in the face of increasing migration and urbanisation. Initiatives such as job reservation policies for locals and campaigns to enforce the use of Kannada in public spaces have been central to these movements. Nativism has also been characterised by protests and activism, including demands for linguistic preference and opposition to the perceived marginalisation of native communities. The movement remains a significant and often debated aspect of Karnataka’s social and political dynamics.
