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Meet actor who won State and National awards for his films, known for his simple style, and even broke his engagement with a pan-Indian star
Read on to learn about an actor who is a National award winner and was once in a relationship with a famous actress! Can you guess the actor?
He's an actor often known for his simple nature and unique style of storytelling. He even revolutionized the film industry with his skills. This actor is not only a State Award winner but also a National Award recipient.
Yes, we are talking about the ever-talented and charming Kannada star Rakshit Shetty, often termed as ‘Simple Star.’ Let’s dive into his professional and personal life.
Rakshit Shetty’s cinematic journey
Rakshit Shetty made his debut in Kannada cinema after working as a software engineer before initially venturing into theater. By 2010, the actor stepped into Kannada films with his movie Nam Areal Ond Dina as the co-lead alongside actors Anish Tejeshwar and Meghana Gaonkar.
The film directed by Aravind Kaushik was the debut of all the lead actors and was released after several hurdles in 2010, despite starting production in 2008. The movie despite receiving critical acclaim, especially for its non-linear narration did not create much impact in Rakshit's career.
The director and the actor once again joined hands afterward for the film Tuglak which had Gaonkar, too, as the co-lead but was criticized for its screenplay with Rakshit earning immense praise. Interestingly, Rishab Shetty also played a prominent role in the movie.
By 2013, Rakshit Shetty finally found his break in Kannada films with the rom-com movie Simple Agi Ondh Love Story. The movie starring Rakshit and Shwetha Srivatsav in the lead roles became the origin of his title ‘Simple Star’ and gave its director the name Simple Suni. The film which was a massive hit and critical success established Rakshit as a star in the Kannada film industry.
His success as an actor further led him to make his directorial debut with the movie Ulidavaru Kandanthe, a neo-noir gangster action flick. The film was one of the pioneering works of the Kannada New Wave and enjoys a cult following despite being a box-office failure. The movie even earned Rakshit the Karnataka State Award for Director's First Time Best Film.
Check out Ulidavaru Kandanthe's trailer:
By the year 2015, Rakshit Shetty stepped out of the comfort zone of working with his friends and collaborated with the director Yogaraj Bhat for the film Vaastu Prakaara. The satirical comedy movie featured actor Jaggesh in the lead role and dealt with themes of astrology and superstition being blindly followed by Indians, even going as far as to overlook science. The film also had Anant Nag, Sudha Rani, and T. N. Seetharam in key roles.
The following year, we saw Rakshit playing the lead role in Rishab Shetty’s directorial debut, Ricky. The romantic thriller was a commercial and critical success and led to another successful film Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu. In the same year, Rakshit and Rishab once again collaborated for the much-celebrated Kirik Party.
The movie was written by The Seven Odds which consists of Rakshit Shetty, Rishab Shetty, Abhijith Mahesh, Dhananjay Ranjan, Kiranraj K, Chandrajith Belliappa. It also marked the debut of Rashmika Mandanna and Samyuktha Hegde in the lead roles.
Check out trailers of Ricky & Kirik Party:
The movie was the all-time highest-grosser in Kannada films, running in multiplexes for 365 days. The film even bagged the 2017 Karnataka State Award for Best Family Entertainer. Furthermore, the actor was seen playing the lead role in the hit Avane Srimannarayana and later on in the much-loved 777 Charlie which won the Best Regional Film Award- Kannada at the 69th National Film Awards.
The actor was last seen on the big screen in his 2023 two-part love story called Sapta Saagaradaache Ello - Side A and Side B, starring alongside Rukmini Vasanth and Chaithra J. Achar. Now, the actor is set to appear in the prequel of Ulidavaru Kandanthe, called Richard Anthony: Lord of the Sea reprising his role as Richard Anthony.
Rakshit Shetty’s personal life
Rakshit Shetty was born on June 6, 1983, to a Tulu-speaking Bunt family in Udupi. Completing his initial education in his hometown, the 41-year-old actor is a graduate in Electronics and Communications Engineering from N.M.A.M. Institute of Technology in Nitte. Moreover, the actor has always been an enthusiast of Tulu folk dance Pili Nalike (Tiger dance) since his school days.
Rakshit was initially in a relationship with actress Rashmika Mandanna back in the day, after they started dating during the shoot days of Kirik Party. The couple got engaged on July 3, 2017, in a private ceremony at Virajpet. However, by September 2018, they mutually broke the engagement citing compatibility issues with each other.
ALSO READ: Remember Charlie from Rakshit Shetty’s 777 Charlie? She’s now a proud mom to 6 adorable pups
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