Vinay Rajkumar

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Vinay Rajkumar
Born (1989-05-07) 7 May 1989 (age 36) [1]
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
OccupationActor
Years active1993-1999; 2012–present
Father Raghavendra Rajkumar
RelativesSee Rajkumar family

Vinay Rajkumar (born 7 May 1989) is an Indian actor who works in Kannada cinema. The grandson of actor Rajkumar and son of film producer and actor Raghavendra Rajkumar, he made his debut as a lead actor in 2014 with Siddhartha . [2]

Contents

Early life

Vinay Rajkumar was born to actor and film producer Raghavendra Rajkumar and Mangala. He is the grandson of actor Rajkumar. He has a younger brother, Yuva Rajkumar. The actors Shiva Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar are his paternal uncles. Vinay earned a bachelor's degree in commerce from St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore.

Vinay's grandfather, Rajkumar brought him on-screen at the age of four in the film Aakasmika (1993). [3] Vinay followed this with appearances in Odahuttidavaru (1994), his father's film's Anuragada Alegalu (1993) and Navibbaru Namagibbaru (1993), and uncle Shiva's Om (1995) and Hrudaya Hrudaya (1999). [4] [5]

Vinay studied and trained as an actor in "acting workshops with a couple of people" before "training... in theatre". He subsequently trained in dance and martial arts from trainers of his uncles' films. [6] In an interview with The Times of India in 2012, he said he was "involved with the filming of [uncle Puneeth's film] Yaare Koogadali ", having already worked in the filming of the latter's previous film Anna Bond (2012). [6] [7]

Career

Early Appearances (1993–1999)

Vinay began his acting journey as a child artist in Kannada cinema, appearing in family productions featuring his father and uncles. His first on-screen appearance was in Aakasmika (1993), followed by roles in Anuragada Alegalu (1993), Navibbaru Namagibbaru (1993), and Odahuttidavaru (1994). He also featured in his uncle Shiva Rajkumar’s films Om (1995) and Hrudaya Hrudaya (1999), credited as Master Vinay Raghavendra.

Debut as Lead Actor and Initial Success (2014–2016)

After completing his education and training in acting, dance, and martial arts, Vinay made his debut as a lead actor in 2015 with Siddhartha , directed by Prakash. The romantic drama earned him the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Actor (Male), marking a promising start to his career.

In 2016, Vinay starred in Run Anthony , an action thriller directed by Raghu Shastry. The film showcased him in a high-energy role as Antony, blending suspense and romance. Though the movie received mixed reviews, Vinay’s performance was praised for its intensity and screen presence, cementing his image as a versatile actor.

Critical Acclaim and Diversification (2017–2020)

Vinay expanded his repertoire with Ananthu Vs Nusrath (2018), a romantic drama where he played an advocate entangled in a cross-cultural love story. The film was critically acclaimed and highlighted Vinay’s ability to handle nuanced roles. He continued experimenting with genres, appearing in projects like Totapuri and short films such as Daya, which earned him recognition at the Bangalore Short Film Festival.

Recent Work and Upcoming Projects (2021–Present)

Vinay returned to the big screen with 10 (2022), a sports drama, and followed it up with romantic entertainer Ondu Sarala Prema Kathe (2024) and the action-packed Pepe (2024). His upcoming films include Andondittu Kaala (2025) and Graamayana (2025), signaling a strong comeback phase with diverse roles

Filmography

Key
†Denotes films that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1993 Anuragada Alegalu Running boyChild Artist;
cameo appearance in the song "Ambarada Taare"		 [8]
Navibbaru Namagibbaru Boy with cattleChild Artist [9]
Aakasmika Boy in horse drawn carriageChild Artist;
Uncredited cameo appearance in the song "Huttidare Kannadanalli"		 [3]
1994 Odahuttidavaru VinuChild Artist [3]
1995 Om Satya and Madhu's sonChild Artist; uncredited [10]
1999 Hrudaya Hrudaya VinuChild Artist [11]
2015 Siddhartha Siddhartha
2016 Run Antony Antony
2018 Ananthu Vs Nusrath Ananthu [4]
2022 10 Vijay Kumar [12] [13]
2024 Ondu Sarala Prema Kathe Athishay [14]
Pepe Pepe
2025 Andondittu Kaala Kumara [15]
2026City Lights†ShivaFilming [16]
Gramayana†TBAFilming

Awards

South Indian International Movie Awards

References

  1. ↑ "Happy birthday Vinay Rajkumar". The Times of India. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Vinay Rajkumar kickstarted to become a star". Deccan Chronicle . 4 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Rajkumar's grandson Vinay's first interview". The Times of India . 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Vinay Rajkumar: On the run". The Hindu. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rajkumar's grandson to make his debut with 'Siddartha'". The Hindu. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 Desai, Dhwani (23 December 2014). "Puneeth is like a good buddy: Vinay Rajkumar". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "No pressure from my family: Vinay Rajkumar". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Anuragada Alegalu Movie. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Navibbaru Namagibbaru | Full Movies | Raghavendra Rajkumar| Malashree| Comedy Movie. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "I grew up on film sets, they've always felt like home to me: Vinay Rajkumar | Kannada Movie News - Times of India". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  11. ↑ Hrudaya Hrudaya. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Vinay Rajkumar's boxing film to be titled '10'? – The New Indian Express". newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Vinay Rajkumar to play a boxer in 'Ten'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "vinay-rajkumar-to-collaborate-with-directorsuni-for-a-romantic-drama". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "Vinay Rajkumar, Aditi Prabhudeva come together for Andondittu Kaala". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. ↑ "ನಟ ವಿನಯ್ ರಾಜ್‌ಕುಮಾರ್ ಹೊಸ ಸಿನಿಮಾಕ್ಕೆ 'ದುನಿಯಾ' ವಿಜಯ್ ಡೈರೆಕ್ಷನ್; 'ದೊಡ್ಮನೆ' ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳು ಥ್ರಿಲ್". Vijay Karnataka (in Kannada). Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "SIIMA 2016 Kannada winners list". Asianet News . 31 March 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
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