Rakshit Shetty (born 6 June 1983) is an Indian actor and filmmaker who is best known for his work in Kannada cinema. His films are known for urban legends, Indian folklore, nonlinear storylines, extended scenes of dialogue, references to Indian mythology and a wide variety of other films.
Shetty began his career as a Short Filmmaker with films like Let’s Kill Gandhi and many unreleased ventures. Most of the Short films were lost during his career as an actor. He then entered into feature films with Nam Areal Ond Dina and Thuglak both directed by Aravind Kaushik. His first mainstream success was 2013 Simple Agi Ondh Love Story.
The success of Simple Agi Ondh Love Story made director and producer Simple Suni to invest in Shetty’s first directorial Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014). The movie was a moderate hit at the box office but later gained cult-following. The movie was praised for its regional authenticity in depicting Udupi and its people. The movie also paid homage to many of Tarantino’s films including Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, also referring to classics like Scarface and Sholay.
After a gap of 2 years from writing he came back with 2016 college comedy film Kirik Party which created sensation at the box office. Portrayal of Indian colleges in a very subtle and humorous way attained critical acclaim. The soundtrack of the film crossed millions of views in YouTube. He also received a lot of accolades including Karnataka State Film Award.
Early life
Shetty was born on 6 June 1983 in Udupi in a Tulu-speaking Bunt Tuluva Hindu family. He completed his schooling at his hometown. During his schooling days he was an avid Huli Kunitha dancer, a folk dance in the Coastal Karnataka. This made him provide a major role for the dancers in his 2014 film Ulidavaru Kandanthe. Then studied engineering at N.M.A.M. Institute of Technology, Nitte, Udupi. After graduating, he worked as a software professional for two years before becoming an actor starting in theatre.
Career
Shetty made his acting debut in films in 2010 with Nam Areal Ond Dina, which didn’t garner much popularity or success to him. Later, the romance-comedy 2013 film Simple Agi Ondh Love Story, proved to be a breakthrough for him before he directed and starred in the crime-drama Ulidavaru Kandanthe in 2014. The film garnered widespread critical acclaim and won him the Karnataka State Film Award for Director’s First Time Best Film and the Filmfare Award South for Best Director. The film holds cult status among Kannada audiences. He followed it by starring in Vaastu Prakaara (2015) and the critical success Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016). Shetty achieved further success with the 2016 college drama Kirik Party that he wrote and produced, a critical and commercial success.
Along with directors Pawan Kumar, Anup Bhandari and others, Rakshit Shetty has been credited by the media and in the Kannada cinema circles as having begun a “new wave of filmmaking”. Through his career, he has established himself in the Kannada film industry.
Personal life
Shetty began dating his costar Rashmika Mandanna during making of Kirik Party, and the couple got engaged on 3 July 2017 in a private ceremony in her hometown of Virajpet. The couple mutually broke off their engagement in September 2018, citing compatibility issues.
Filmography
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Nam Areal Ond Dina | Aravind | |
| 2012 | Thuglak | Raaghu | |
| 2013 | Simple Agi Ondh Love Story | Kushal | |
| 2014 | Ulidavaru Kandanthe | Richard Anthony | |
| Bahuparak | Richie | Cameo appearance | |
| 2015 | Vaastu Prakaara | Kubera | |
| Jaathre | Himself | Cameo appearance | |
| 2016 | Ricky | Ricky | |
| Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu | Shiva | ||
| Jigarthanda | Himself | Cameo appearance | |
| Kirik Party | Karna | ||
| 2019 | Padde Huli | Karna | Cameo appearance |
| Avane Srimannarayana | Narayana | ||
| 2021 | 777 Charlie  |
Dharma | Filming |
| Sapta Sagaradaache Ello |
Manu | Filming |
As director and producer
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ulidavaru Kandanthe | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Kirik Party | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018 | Humble Politician Nograj | No | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Katheyondu Shuruvagide | No | Yes | No | |
| 2020 | Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja | No | Yes | No | Amazon Prime film |
| 2021 | Ramarjuna | No | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | 777 Charlie |
No | Yes | No | Filming |
| TBA | Punyakoti |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Pre-Production |
| TBA | Richie |
No | Yes | No |
Awards and nominations
|
|||||
| Totals | |||||
| Awards won | 13 | ||||
| Nominations | 19 | ||||
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ulidavaru Kandanthe | 62nd Filmfare Awards South | Best Director | Won | |
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Best Lyricist | Nominated | ||||
| 2014 Karnataka State Film Awards | Director’s First Time Best Film | Won | |||
| Behindwoods Gold Medal | Best Filmaker Kannada | Won | |||
| 2017 | Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu | KAFTA Awards | Best Lyrics | Won | |
| IIFA Utsavam | Performance In A Supporting Role – Male | Won | |||
| Kirik Party | Best Film | Won | |||
| Performance In A Leading Role – Male | Won | ||||
| Best Lyrics | Won | ||||
| Best Story | Nominated | ||||
| 2016 Karnataka State Film Awards | Best Family Entertainer | Won | |||
| 64th Filmfare Awards South | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Best Lyricist | Nominated | ||||
| Critics Award for Best Actor – South | Won | ||||
| 6th SIIMA Awards | Best Film | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Entertainer of the Year | Won |