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. The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film 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.
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.
Petla "Puri" Jagannadh is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film Badri starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu Desai and Ameesha Patel. In 2006, he directed the Telugu film Pokiri, premiered at the 7th IIFA Film Festival held in Dubai. The film was later re-made into several Indian languages, and brought Puri widespread Indian recognition. He made his Hindi film debut in 2004, with the film Shart: The Challenge. In 2011, he directed the Hindi film Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap starring Amitabh Bachchan, which was archived in the Oscar library.
Pudipeddi Sai Kumar is an Indian actor, dubbing artist and television presenter who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada films.
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, commonly known as Singeetam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile directors of India. He is credited with having revolutionised the South Indian cinema with experimental films. He has directed about sixty films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and English languages across multiple genres. He has garnered two National Film Awards, five Nandi Awards, three Karnataka State Film Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, Rao was honored with Life Achievement Award from the Film Federation of India.
Anuradha, known by her stage name Tara, is a National award winning Indian actress, known for her work in Kannada cinema and politics. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2009 and is currently a nominated member of the Karnataka Legislative Council.
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.
Yash is an Indian actor who works in Kannada films. He is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards South.
Shashidhar Adapa is an Indian production designer, set designer and puppet designer, known predominantly for his work in Kannada cinema. In 1984, he formed Prathiroopi, a television, film, and stage set design company.
Kanooru Heggadithi is a 1999 Indian film based on the 1936 novel "Kanooru Subbamma Heggadithi" by Kannada writer Kuvempu, and directed by playwright and film director Girish Karnad. Set in the Malnad region, the film narrates a story of the land and life of a feudal family in pre-independence Malnad. The film marked Karnad's return to directing after a lapse of over a decade. This is the only instance in the Indian cinema history where one Jnanpith Awardee directed a movie based on the work of another Jnanpith Awardee.
South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreciate and honour film makers from across the South Indian film industries: Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Kannada cinema, and Malayalam cinema, and provide a platform to promote South Indian films in international markets.
Vijay Gurunatha Sethupathi is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil films. He is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. He has also worked in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada language films.
Nandini Ramanna, better known by her stage name Bhavana Ramanna, is an Indian actress who works predominantly in the Kannada film industry. A Bharatanatyam dancer, she has received three Karnataka State Film Awards and acted in Shanti, a film that entered the Guinness Book of Records. Bhavana Ramanna is the director of HomeTown Productions, a production house that conducts dance and music shows.
Ganga is a 2015 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sai Prakash, and produced by Ramu. The film stars Malashri in the lead role. The supporting cast features Srinivasa Murthy, Hema Chowdhary, Pavithra Lokesh, Rangayana Raghu, Suchendra Prasad, Sharath Lohitashwa. Malashri won her first Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in this movie.
Adi Lokesh is an Indian actor who works in Kannada films. He is known for his villainous roles such as his role in Jogi (2005) as Bidda.
Girija Lokesh is an Indian theatre and film actress and occasional film producer who works in Kannada cinema. She is wife of actor Lokesh, and is the mother of actor and television presenter Srujan Lokesh. In recognition of her contribution towards Kannada cinema, she was honoured with Rajyotsava Award by the Government of Karnataka in 2013.
Pavitra Lokesh is an Indian film and television actress. She appears primarily in Kannada and Telugu films playing supporting roles. The daughter of stage and film actor Mysore Lokesh, she made her film debut at the age of 16 and has since appeared in over 150 Kannada films. At 5 feet 10 inches she was the tallest actress at that time, but managing to do several noteworthy roles even acting against shorter heroes. For her performance in the Kannada film Naayi Neralu (2006), she was awarded the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress. Her husband Naresh is also an actor.
Buckasura is a 2018 Indian Kannada psychological thriller film written by Rajasimha Tadinada and directed by Navaneeth and produced by R. J. Rohith, marking their second collaboration after Karvva (2016). It features RJ Rohith and Kavya Gowda along with V. Ravichandran in the lead antagonist role. The supporting cast includes Sithara, Suchendra Prasad, Shashikumar and Makarand Deshpande among others. The score and soundtrack for the film is by Avinash Sreeram and the cinematography is by Mohan. The film released on 27 April 2018. The movie was reported to be loosely inspired by the 1997 American movie The Devil's Advocate.
Kwatle Satisha is a 2014 Indian Kannada-language comedy film directed by Mahesh Rao and starring Sathish Ninasam, Chikkanna, Anand, Suri, and Sonia Gowda. It is a remake of the Tamil film Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012).
