Rishab Shetty Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Rishab Shetty is an Indian actor, director, producer, and writer. He is known for working predominantly in the Kannada film industry. In 2014, he played the role of Raghu in the Kannada crime drama film ‘Ulidavaru Kandanthe.’ He is 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; as of 2023) in Keradi village, Kundapura, Udupi, Karnataka. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He went to 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. ^[1]Facebook – Rishab Shetty He holds a diploma in film direction from Government Film & Television Institute in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 10″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

He belongs to a Hindu family in Keradi village, Kundapura, Udupi, Karnataka. ^[2]The News Minute

Parents & Siblings

His father’s name is Y Bhaskar Shetty, who is an astrologer, and his mother’s name is Lakshmi Shetty. He has a sister named Pratibha Hegde, who works at Wipro.

Wife & Children

On 9 February 2017, Rishab got married to Pragathi Shetty, a fashion designer and celebrity stylist. The couple has two children, a son named Ranvit Shetty and a daughter named Raadya Shetty.

Career

Actor

Kannada

In 2012, he debuted with the film ‘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 character in the hit film ‘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 lead role with the film ‘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 played the role of Shiva in the popular 2022 film ‘Kantara.’

Telugu

In 2022, he debuted in the Telugu film industry with the film ‘Mishan Impossible’ in which he appeared in a cameo role as Khaleel.

Director

In 2016, he made his directorial debut with the film ‘Ricky.’ In the same year, he directed the film ‘Kirik Party.’ He directed his third film, ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai,’ in 2018.

Writer

In 2016, he wrote his first Kannada film ‘Ricky.’

The second film written by him was ‘Kirik Party,’ which was released in 2016. He wrote the film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai,’ which was released in 2018.

Producer

In 2018, he produced his first Kannada film titled ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai.’

In the 2019 Kannada film ‘Katha Sangama,’ he worked as a producer and creative head of the film. In 2021, he produced and co-wrote the Kannada action comedy film ‘Hero.’ He produced the Kannada film ‘Shivamma,’ which was released in 2022.

Controversy

Kantara Film Row

Panjurli, a bhoota (a divine spirit of a male wild boar), who is the protector of righteousness and a part of Bhoota Kola, was portrayed in the 2022 film ‘Kantara’ as a Hindu god Vishnu’s incarnation, Varaha. In an interview, Rishab Shetty stirred up a row, when he considered the Bhoota Kola tradition of the Dakshina Kannada region as a part of Hindu culture, he said,

Those gods, they are all part of our tradition. Definitely, it is part of Hindu culture and Hindu rituals. Because I am a Hindu, I have belief and respect for my religion. But I will not say others are wrong. What we have said is through the element that is present in Hindu dharma.” ^[3]The News Minute

Netizens criticised him for depicting Panjurli as Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, Varaha. Later, Rishab defended himself by saying that he did not want to hurt the religious beliefs of people; he went down to rural coastal Karnataka, where all these rituals and tales were born, for research and to be more accurate about the culture. In an interview, he talked about how he researched well about the rituals before making the film and said,

I was looking at a story rooted in coastal Karnataka about agricultural land. But it isn’t just land. Bhootakola, Daivaradhane, our culture, our rituals and beliefs are all part of that. Once agricultural activities finish, it is marked with a celebration for 3-4 months because that is a ritual. People who have left the village also return for it. Such strong is the belief around all of it. It’s a rule. I wanted to bring all that but I did not have the complete idea and knowledge about it. I didn’t want any problem. I didn’t want anybody to be hurt or offended. I talked to the people who perform these rituals. I asked them more about it and researched more about it to be sure about how to go about it. I talked to the people who perform these rituals. I asked them more about it and researched more about it to be sure about how to go about it.” ^[4]Hindustan Times

Awards

• Won Best Family Entertainer Award for the 2016 film “Kirik Party” at Karnataka State Film Awards in 2016

• Won Best Director Award for the 2016 film “Kirik Party” at the 64th Filmfare Awards South in 2017
  

  Rishab Shetty after winning Best Director Award at Filmfare Awards South in 2017

• Won Best Director Award for the 2016 film “Kirik Party” at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in 2017
  

  Rishab Shetty after winning Best Director Award at SIIMA 2017

• Won Best Family Entertainer Award for the 2018 film ‘Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai’ at Karnataka State Film Awards in 2018

• Won 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 (Second Most Popular 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 the Kannada Popular Entertainment Award in 2019

• Won Asian Paints Spotlight: Pioneering Contributions to New Wave Cinema Award at the OTTplay Awards & Conclave 2022
  

  Rishab Shetty receiving the award at OTTplay Awards & Conclave in 2022

• In January 2023, the Academy Awards contention list included his film Kantara in the Best Picture and Best Actor categories. ^[5]India Today Kantara was also included on the list of 301 feature films eligible for Oscars released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in January 2023. ^[6]NDTV

• Won the SIIMA Critics Award for Best Actor (Kannada) for the film ‘Kantara’ at the South Indian International Movie Awards, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE in September 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

Favourites

• Actor: Jr. N.T.R.

• Actress: Ramya

• Film: Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu (1974)

• Filmmaker: Vetrimaaran

Facts/Trivia

• In 2016, he founded his own production house named Rishab Shetty Films.

• Before working as an actor, he worked as an assistant director with director A. M. R. Ramesh on the 2006 Kannada-language film “Cyanide.” After seeing Ramesh working as a director, Rishab got influenced by him and decided to become a director.

• According to Rishab, the first gift that he gave to his wife was a pair of golden earrings (Jhumkas), and his wife gave him a bottle of Old Monk rum as the first gift.

• In an interview, he said, had he not become an actor, he would be in the construction business.

• In an interview, he revealed that he did not eat non-vegetarian food for one month while shooting for the film ‘Kantara,’ he said,
  

  I consulted many people who offer poojas to demigods in coastal areas. I visited Dharmasthala and sought blessings and advice from Dharmasthala administrator Veerendra Heggade who gave me a green signal. I not only prayed to the demigods but also did not eat non-vegetarian food for a month during the shooting.” ^[7]Bangalore Mirror