Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. Kannada cinema is based in Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore. The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film to release in the Kannada language. It was also the first film starring Subbaiah Naidu and Tripuramba, and was the first motion picture screened in the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom. The film was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji, who in 1932 founded South India Movietone in Bangalore.
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.
Karnataka Rajyotsava, also known as Karnataka State Day, is a public holiday celebrated annually on 1 November in the Indian state of Karnataka. It commemorates the merger in 1956 of the Kannada-speaking regions of southwestern India under the States Reorganisation Act to form the state.
Puneeth Rajkumar, colloquially known as Appu, was an Indian actor, philanthropist, playback singer, television presenter and producer, who worked in Kannada cinema. He was the youngest son of 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, English, Kannada, Malayalam, 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, five Filmfare Awards South, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and three Vijay Awards. Apart from his mother tongue Kannada, Raj's fluency in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English, Tulu and Marathi has placed him among the most sought after actors in Indian cinema.
Bangalore Institute of Technology is an autonomous engineering college offering undergraduate and postgraduate engineering courses, affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum located in Bangalore. The institution came into being in August, 1979 under the auspices of Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, Bengaluru.
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.
Ramesh Aravind is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and television presenter who works in Kannada films and television. Aravind has appeared in over 140 films including several Tamil-language films. He has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has won Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Karnataka State Awards for Best Actor. He received Best Story Award for his script for Hoomale. He has won Udaya TV award and Suvarna TV awards.
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.
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 and film maker who primarily works in Kannada cinema. He is known for his critical and commercial blockbuster, Kantara, which he directed and also acted in as the main lead. He is the recipient of several accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Children's Film at the 66th National Film Awards for Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai(2018).
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).
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.
Abdul Rasheed is an Indian writer, poet, editor and translator from Karnataka. In 2004 he won Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award for lifetime achievement. He also a translator, blogger, columnist and radio personality.
