Kannada actor-director Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award at the 70th National Film Awards announced on August 16 in New Delhi. Kantara He got recognition. KantaraThe film, which is slated to release in 2022, is one of the few films that put Kannada cinema on the global map.

But Rishab Shetty’s road to success had many hurdles and thorns. He did several odd jobs to sustain himself until he got real work in Kannada cinema, popularly known as Sandalwood.

Rishab Shetty’s Early Years

Rishabh was born Prashant Shetty in Mangaluru, Karnataka. During his college days in Bengaluru, where he pursued a B.Com degree, he joined a theatre troupe and became part of Yakshagana plays. (Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form that involves dance, music, dialogue, costumes, make-up and storytelling.)

The recognition he received while acting in theatre plays inspired him to pursue acting and direction. It took Shetty almost 10 years to get his first film as a filmmaker. To make a living, the actor did odd jobs, including selling water cans, working in real estate, and working in hotels.

Along with this, Shetty also completed a diploma course from the Government Film and TV Institute in Bangalore. He was so focused that he never refused to do small jobs in the industry. Reportedly, he worked as a clap boy, spot boy, assistant director and many other positions.

In 2012 he made his debut as a villain in a Kannada film. TughlaqHe was also a part of director Pawan Kumar’s film Lucia, where he played the role of a police constable.

Rishab Shetty steps into direction

Rishab Shetty continued to act in films, but his ultimate goal was to direct films. He made his directorial debut in 2016 with the film ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’. Rickywhich received a lukewarm response. In the same year, he Kirik PartyStarring Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna which brought him fame.

The romantic comedy-drama received critical acclaim and commercial success and won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Family Entertainer among several other awards.

In 2018, Rishab Shetty’s Sa.H.P.Schaale Kasargodi Koduge: Ramanna Rai This film earned him his first National Award. This film was awarded the Best Children’s Film at the 66th National Film Awards.

Rishab Shetty continued acting and producing films until Kantara It will hit theaters in 2022. The rest is history.

Kantara and its global success

KantaraDirected by Rishab Shetty, the film received critical acclaim and commercial success for its original portrayal of ‘Bhoota Kola’ (a devotional dance performance in coastal Karnataka). Shetty played two roles in the film- a Kambala champion and a Bhuta Kola artiste.

The film was first released in Kannada. After receiving rave reviews, Kantara It was dubbed into other languages ​​and released globally. It became the second highest grossing Kannada film after Yash’s ‘Pahla Pyar Hai’. KGF: Chapter 2.

Rishab Shetty is working on this now Kantara: Chapter 1Prequel to the film of the same name.

After winning the National Award, Rishab Shetty told PTI that he never thought that Kantara will get so much recognition. “I just do my job, but the credit for Kantara’s win should go to every team member involved in it. I am just a face, but a lot of technicians gave their best for the film. I want to thank people on their behalf,” he said.

Thanking the Kannada audience, he further said, “They are the ones who took the film to a pan-India platform.”

Rishab Shetty is one of the pioneers of Kannada cinema who aims to touch the skies. In a bold speech, he criticised OTT platforms for not coming forward to buy Kannada content.

“We premiere at festivals and win awards, but we don’t get any platform for it. OTT platforms don’t buy Kannada content, so we are forced to put it on YouTube channels. I am fed up with this. We don’t get any recovery from such films,” Shetty said. PTI,

Rishab Shetty wants to do bigger and better things for Kannada cinema. Winning the National Award recently is just the beginning of his successful tenure.