Prakash Raj
Encyclopedia
Prakash Raj is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
: ಪ್ರಕಾಶ್ ರೈ; born 26 March 1965), better known by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
who has worked in Kannada, Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
, Telugu
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
films. He got introduced to films by K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
in the movie Duet (1994)
Duet (film)
Duet is a 1994 Tamil musical film directed by K. Balachander, starring Prabhu, Meenakshi Seshadri, Ramesh Aravind and Prakashraj. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by A. R. Rahman...
. In remembrance, he named his production company "Duet Movies".
He has played a variety of roles, most notably as the antagonist in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and Kannada and of late, as a character actor. He is considered to be one amongst the club of natural actors. He has won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award that was first given in 1968. The actors to have won the most awards in this category include Nana Patekar, Atul Kulkarni, and Pankaj Kapoor, each have received two....
in 1998 for Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
and a National Film Award for Best Actor
National Film Award for Best Actor
The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
in 2009 for his role in Kanchivaram, a Tamil film directed by Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
.
Early life
Prakash Raj was born to a TuluTulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
speaking Bunt
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
family in Puttur, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
on 26 March 1965. He did his schooling from St.Joseph's Indian High School in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. He later joined St. Josephs College of commerce, Bangalore, where he participated in many plays.
Personal life
Prakash married actress Lalitha Kumari in 1994. They have two daughters—Meghna and Pooja and a son, Sidhu. Sidhu died of injuries sustained in a fall in 2004. The couple divorced in 2009. He then married choreographer Pony Verma on August 24, 2010.As actor
Prakash began his acting career with Kannada DoordarshanDoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
serials like Bisilu Kudure and Guddada Bhootha. He later took up supporting roles in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
films like Raamachari, Nishkarsha and Lockup Death. He was noticed for his dialogue delivery and histrionics. His breakthrough role came in form of Harakeya Kuri starring Vishnuvardhan and Geetha, directed by K. S. L. Swamy. His performance in the movie was noticed by Geetha and she, in turn, introduced him to her mentor K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
, a Tamil film director. He acted under the screen name "Prakash Rai" in Kannada films and was rechristened "Prakash Raj" by K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
for his debut Tamil film Duet, which saw him playing his first major role.
Prakash Raj re-entered Kannada films through Nagamandala in 1997, directed by T.S. Nagabharana which was selected for Indian Panorama in the International Film Festival in 1997. He was also a part of Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai
Netru, Indru, Naalai
Conceptualized first in 2000, the original show was supposed to be a one off event in order to help The Banyan raise funds for its building corpus fund...
. In 1997, he acted in Mani Ratnam's biopic film Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
. The movie dealt with the relationship between politicians M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
and M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award that was first given in 1968. The actors to have won the most awards in this category include Nana Patekar, Atul Kulkarni, and Pankaj Kapoor, each have received two....
. One of Prakash Raj's greatest hits was his role in Telugu film Okkadu
Okkadu
Okkadu is a 2003 Telugu film which was directed by Gunasekhar. It stars Mahesh Babu, Bhoomika Chawla, and Prakash Raj. Music was composed by Mani Sharma and editing was done by A. Sreekar Prasad. M.S. Raju produced this film. This movie was later remade into the Tamil as Ghilli and became one of...
, where he played a gangster who is in love with the heroine. After Okkadu, Prakash Raj was flooded with offers. The film was remade in Tamil as Ghilli
Ghilli
Ghilli is a Tamil action comedy film directed by Dharani. The film stars Joseph Vijay, Trisha Krishnan, Prakash Raj, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Dhamu. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Vidyasagar...
and in Kannada as Ajay starring Puneet Rajkumar
Puneet Rajkumar
Puneeth Rajkumar is an Indian film actor who acts in Kannada films and the youngest son of Kannada superstar Dr Rajkumar and the younger brother of leading KFI star Shivaraj Kumar. As a child artist, he appeared in 12 films...
. He starred in a malayalam film, Pandippada
Pandippada
Pandippada is 2005 Malayalam film directed by Rafi Mecartin starring Dileep, Navya Nair, and Prakash Raj.-Plot:Pandippada is the story of a rivalry between Pandi Durai and Karuppayya Swami who are landlords that brutally rule villages. Bhuvana Chandran is a 25 year old man who gets a piece of...
,with Dilip
Dileep (actor)
Dileep is an Indian film actor, mimicry artist and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema.Dileep started his career as a mimicry artist in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. He later started his film career as an assistant director to Kamal with the film Vishnu Lokam...
.His 2007 production Mozhi
Mozhi
Mozhi is a 2007 Tamil film produced by Prakash Raj and directed by Radha Mohan. The film stars Prithviraj, Jyothika, Prakash Raj and Swarnamalya in pivotal roles. The theme is similar to the Hollywood film Children of a Lesser God...
was a box-office hit and praised by critics proving that he can play a comedy role just as good as a negative character.
Mozhi, directed by Radha Mohan
Radha Mohan
Radha Mohan is a Tamil movie director. He has, till date, directed five films, out of which four of them are critically acclaimed and box-office hits. A good friend of actor-producer Prakash Raj, he has directed four films for Prakash Raj's Duet films: Azhagiya Theeye, Mozhi, Abhiyum Naanum and...
, was well acclaimed. He played an important role in Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Prabhu
Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren , better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu is an Indian filmmaker, who has worked as an actor, director and playback singer in the Tamil film industry...
's Saroja which became a box-office success. In 2008 he produced a film titled Abhiyum Naanum
Abhiyum Naanum
Abhiyum Naanum is a 2008 Tamil feature film produced by Prakash Raj and directed by Radha Mohan. The movie, which has a critically acclaimed storyline, stars Prakash Raj in the central character with Trisha Krishnan in the lead role as his daughter while Prithviraj makes a special appearance....
and played an important character in it. He remade the movie in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
as Naanu Nanna Kanasu which was critically acclaimed as well.
As producer
He took on the mantle of producer and has produced several movies in Tamil (KollywoodKollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
). Most of the movies he produced turned out to be box-office hits and were also critically acclaimed. His movies are also considered as family entertainers. He produced the movie Dhaya in which he acted as the hero with actress Meena which was a hit and earned him a special jury award for his performance. His movie Poi (lie in English) directed by his mentor, K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
, was a non-grosser. It starred Uday Kiran
Uday Kiran
Uday Kiran Vajpeyajula is an Indian film actor in Tollywood and Kollywood. His first three consecutive blockbuster films earned him the title "Hatrick Hero".-Personal life:...
, K. Balachander and Prakash Raj.
Prakash Raj had danced in the song "Kanchi Paanaiyin Maela" for his film Vellithirai.
His Kannada production Naanu Nanna Kanasu
Naanu Nanna Kanasu
Naanu Nanna Kanasu is a 2010 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Prakash Rai starring Prakash Rai and Amoolya. It is a remake of the Tamil hit Abhiyum Naanum. Ramya was originally cast as the lead in the film, but she was later replaced by Amoolya...
completed 100 days successfully across Karanataka. His next production venture, titled Akasmaath, is a remake of the Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
hit Aithe and stars himself along with new actors. The movie is scheduled to go on floors in September 2010 to be directed by Dayal Padmanabhan
Dayal Padmanabhan
Dayal Padmanabhan is an Indian film director and producer. Mainly working in Kannada cinema. Many of his films have been romantic/comedy thrillers, most notably his comedy-thriller Circus. His Debut directorial movie was OK Saar OK and he went on to direct a lot of movies including...
. He made Puttakkana Highway
Puttakkana Highway
Puttakkana Highway is a 2011 Kannada film in the Drama genre starring Shruti and Prakash Raj in the lead roles . The film is directed by B. Suresha . Prakash Raj and Shylaja Nag have jointly produced this venture under Duet movies and Media House banner. Hamsalekha has composed the music and H. M....
in Kannada which won National award in 2011.
As director
Prakash Raj directed Naanu Nanna KanasuNaanu Nanna Kanasu
Naanu Nanna Kanasu is a 2010 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Prakash Rai starring Prakash Rai and Amoolya. It is a remake of the Tamil hit Abhiyum Naanum. Ramya was originally cast as the lead in the film, but she was later replaced by Amoolya...
in Kannada (2010), a remake of his own Tamil production Abhiyum Naanum
Abhiyum Naanum
Abhiyum Naanum is a 2008 Tamil feature film produced by Prakash Raj and directed by Radha Mohan. The movie, which has a critically acclaimed storyline, stars Prakash Raj in the central character with Trisha Krishnan in the lead role as his daughter while Prithviraj makes a special appearance....
.. His next directorial venture is a Tamil - Telugu bilingual, sports venture Dhoni
Dhoni (film)
Dhoni is a forthcoming Tamil Sports film to be written and directed by Prakash Raj. The film stars himself and Mugdha Godse in the lead role.-Cast:* Prakash Raj* Mugdha Godse* Radhika Apte* Thalaivasal Vijay* Prabhu Deva in a guest appearance...
named after Indian cricket captain
National Film Awards
- 1998 - Best Supporting Actor AwardNational Film Award for Best Supporting ActorThe National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award that was first given in 1968. The actors to have won the most awards in this category include Nana Patekar, Atul Kulkarni, and Pankaj Kapoor, each have received two....
for his performance in the Tamil film IruvarIruvarIruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
. - 1999 - Special Jury Award for his performance in the Telugu film Anthapuram.
- 2003 - Special Jury Award for his roles in Tamil film DhayaDhaya (film)Daya Prakash Raj home production,he played the title role of a rowdy who hires his services to the highest bidder. Who in the midst of indulging in arson, murder, and poisoning an entire ashram of orphans, also gets to do the song and dance routine. Fodder for an actor who has this tendency to turn...
and Telugu film KhadgamKhadgamKhadgam is a 2002 Telugu language Patriotic movie produced by Sunkara Madhu Murali under Karthikeya Movies banner. The film features Srikanth, Ravi Teja, Prakash Raj, Sangeetha, Sonali Bendre and Kim Sharma in the lead roles. Music has been composed Devi Sri Prasad. The movie released on 29...
. - 2008 - Best Actor AwardNational Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
for his performance in the Tamil film Kanchivaram.
Filmfare Awards South
- 2002 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (Telugu) - Nuvve NuvveNuvve NuvveNuvve Nuvve is a Tollywood film that was written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film starred Tarun, Shriya Saran, and Prakash Raj in important roles.-Plot:...
- 2003 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (Telugu) - TagoreTagoreTagore is the name of a prominent Bengali family of intellectuals, writers and artists, generally known as the Tagore family.People - Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family...
- 2004 - Filmfare Best Villain Award (Tamil)Filmfare Best Villain Award (Tamil)The Filmfare Best Villain Award was given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil films....
- GhilliGhilliGhilli is a Tamil action comedy film directed by Dharani. The film stars Joseph Vijay, Trisha Krishnan, Prakash Raj, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Dhamu. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Vidyasagar... - 2005 - Filmfare Award for Best Villain - Tamil - SivakasiSivakasiSivakasi is an active town and a municipality in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the capital of India’s firecracker industry with about 8,000 factories, big and small, producing 90 percent of the total fireworks output.It is also known as "kutti japan" meaning "small...
- 2009 - Filmfare Best Actor Award (Tamil) - Kanchivaram
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
- 2000 - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best VillainTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best VillainThe Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awardss for Tamil films. The award was first given in 1997, with Prakash Raj being the first recipient.-The list:...
- VaanavilVaanavilVaanavil is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2000. Prakash Raj won the Tamil Nadu state film award best villain for this movie.... - 2005 - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain - Various films