Rishab Shetty is an Indian actor, director, producer and writer. He is known for working mainly in the Kannada film industry. In 2014, he played the role of Raghu in the Kannada crime drama film ‘Ulidavaru Kandanthe.’ He is best known for directing the popular Kannada-language film ‘Kirik Party,’ which was released in 2016. In 2022, he acted in the Kannada film ‘Kantara,’ which was also directed and written by him.
Wiki/Biography
Rishab Shetty was born as Prashant Shetty on Thursday, 7 July 1983 (age 40 years; in 2023) in village Keradi, Kundapura, Udupi, Karnataka. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He attended Board High School in Kundapur, Karnataka. Later, he studied Master of Business Administration in Human Resources at Vijaya College in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka. He studied at Bhandarkars’ Arts & Science College in Kundapura, Karnataka. He holds a diploma in film directing from the Government Film & Television Institute in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 10″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
He belongs to a Hindu family in Keradi village, Kundapura, Udupi, Karnataka.
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Y Bhaskar Shetty, an astrologer, and his mother’s name is Lakshmi Shetty. He has a sister named Pratibha Hegde, who works at Wipro.
Rishab Shetty’s parents
Rishab Shetty’s sister, Pratibha Hegde
Wife & Children
On 9 February 2017, Rishab got married to Pragathi Shetty, a fashion designer and celebrity stylist. The couple has two children namely a son named Ranvit Shetty and a daughter named Raadya Shetty.
Rishab Shetty with his wife, Pragathi Shetty
Rishabh Shetty with his wife and son, Ranvit Shetty
Rishab Shetty’s daughter Raadya Shetty
Career
Actor
Kannada
In 2012, he started his career with the movie ‘Tuglak.’
Rishab in a still from the movie ‘Tuglak’
In the 2013 film ‘Attahasa’, he played the role of an undercover cop. In 2014, he was cast to play the role of Raghu in the film ‘Ulidavaru Kandanthe.’ In 2016, he played a supporting role in the hit movie ‘Ricky.’ He appeared as Inspector Kempraju in the 2018 film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai.’ In 2019, he made his debut in a leading role with the movie ‘Bell Bottom.’ He appeared in a cameo role as Cowboy Krishna in the 2019 film ‘Avane Srimannarayana.’ In 2021, he played the role of Hari in the gangster film ‘Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana.’ He plays the role of Shiva in the 2022 hit film ‘Kantara.’
Rishab Shetty on the poster of the 2022 film ‘Kantara’
Telugu
In 2022, he debuted in the Telugu film industry with the film ‘Mission Impossible’ where he appeared in a cameo role as Khaleel.
Rishab Shetty in a still from the 2022 Telugu film ‘Mission Impossible’
Director
In 2016, he made his directorial debut with the film ‘Ricky.’ In the same year, he directed the movie ‘Kirik Party.’ He directed his third film, ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai,’ in 2018.
Rishab Shetty directed the movie ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge Raamanna Rai’
Writer
In 2016, he wrote his first Kannada film ‘Ricky.’
2016 movie poster ‘Ricky’
The second movie written by him was ‘Kirik Party,’ which was released in 2016. He wrote the movie ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai,’ which was released in 2018.
Publisher
In 2018, he produced his first Kannada film titled ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai.’
2018 movie poster ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge Raamanna Rai’
In the 2019 Kannada film ‘Katha Sangama,’ he worked as the producer and creative head of the film. In 2021, he produced and co-wrote the Kannada action comedy film ‘Hero.’ He is producing the Kannada film ‘Shivamma,’ which is releasing in 2022.
Controversy
Kantara Film Line
Panjurli, a bhoota (divine spirit of a male wild boar), who is the protector of truth and part of the Bhoota Kola, has been portrayed in the 2022 film ‘Kantara’ as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, Varaha. In an interview, Rishab Shetty caused controversy, when he considered the Bhoota Kola tradition in the Dakshina Kannada region as part of Hindu culture, he said,
Those gods, they are all part of our tradition. Certainly, it is a part of Hindu culture and Hindu rituals. Because I am a Hindu, I have faith and respect my religion. But I won’t say anyone else is wrong. What we are saying is through elements found in Hindu dharma.”
Netizens slammed him for portraying Panjurli as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Varaha. Later, Rishab defended himself by saying that he did not want to hurt people’s religious beliefs; he went to rural coastal Karnataka, where all these rituals and stories were born, for research and to be more precise about the culture. In an interview, he talked about how he researched the rituals well before making the film and said,
I am looking at a story rooted in coastal Karnataka about farmland. But it’s not just land. Bhootakola, Daivaradhane, our culture, our rituals and beliefs are part of that. After the agricultural activity is completed, it is marked with a celebration for 3-4 months because it is a ritual. People who have left the village also come back to get it. So strong is the belief around him. It’s a rule. I want to bring all that but I don’t have complete idea and knowledge about it. I don’t want any trouble. I don’t want anyone to get hurt or offended. I spoke to people who do this ritual. I asked them more about it and researched more about it to make sure how to do it. I spoke to people who do this ritual. I asked them more about it and researched more about it to make sure how to do it.”
Award
- Won the Best Family Entertainer Award for the 2016 film “Puppy Party” at the Karnataka State Film Awards in 2016
- Won the Best Director Award for the 2016 film “Kirik Party” at the 64th Filmfare Awards South in 2017
Rishab Shetty after winning the Best Director Award at the Filmfare Awards South in 2017
- Won the Best Director Award for the movie “Kirik Party” 2016 at the 6th South Indian International Film Awards (SIIMA) in 2017
Rishab Shetty after winning the Best Director Award at SIIMA 2017
- Won the Best Family Entertainer Award for the 2018 film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai’ at the Karnataka State Film Awards in 2018
- Won the Best Children’s Film Award for the 2018 film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai’ at the 66th National Film Awards in 2019
- Won the Kannada Popular Entertainment Award (Best Kannada Cinema of the Year Award) for the film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai’ at the 11th Bengaluru International Film Festival in 2019
Rishab Shetty after winning Kannada Popular Entertainment Award in 2019
- Wins Asian Paints Spotlight: Pioneering Contribution to New Wave Cinema Award at OTTplay Awards & Conclave 2022
Rishab Shetty received the award at the OTTplay Awards & Conclave in 2022
- In January 2023, the Academy Awards competition list included the film Kantara in the Best Picture and Best Actor categories. Kantara is also included in the list of 301 Oscar-worthy feature films released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in January 2023.
Car Collection
- Audi Q7
Rishab Shetty standing next to his car Audi Q7
- Skoda Fabia
Rishab Shetty sitting in front of his car Skoda Fabia
Favourite
- Movie: Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu (1974)
Facts/Trivia
- In 2016, he founded his own production house called Rishab Shetty Films.
- Before working as an actor, he worked as an assistant director with director AMR Ramesh in the 2006 Kannada-language film “Cyanide.” After seeing Ramesh working as a director, Rishab was influenced by him and decided to become a director.
- According to Rishab, the first gift he gave his wife was a pair of gold earrings (Jhumkas), and she gave him a bottle of Old Monk rum as a first gift.
- In an interview, he said that if he had not become an actor, he would have been in the construction business.
- In an interview, she revealed that she did not eat non-vegetarian food for a month during the shooting of the film ‘Kantara,’ she said,
I consulted many people who offer pooja to the deity in the coastal area. I visited Dharmasthala and sought blessings and advice from Dharmasthala administrator Veerendra Heggade who gave me the green signal. I not only prayed to the deities but also did not eat non-vegetarian food for a month during the shoot.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
