Rishab Shetty Biography: Nationality, Education, Movies, News, Age & Net Worth, Wikipedia

Rishab Shetty is one of the most prominent names in contemporary Kannada cinema — an actor, director, screenwriter and producer whose films combine rooted folklore, raw physicality and a strong sense of place.

Best known internationally for the runaway success Kantara (2022), Shetty’s rise from a small coastal village to national recognition is a modern Indian film success story.

Profile Data

• Full Name: Prashanth Shetty
• Stage Name: Rishab Shetty
• Born: 7 July 1983
• Age: 41 years (as of 2024)
• Birthplace: Keradi, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district, Karnataka, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Occupation: Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter
• Spouse: Pragathi Shetty (m. 2017)
• Children: 2 (one son and one daughter)
• Net Worth: Estimated around $5 million (approx. ₹40 crore INR)

Early life and roots

Rishab Shetty (born Prashanth Shetty) was born on 7 July 1983 in Keradi, a village in the Kundapura taluk of Udupi district, Karnataka. He grew up steeped in local culture — yakshagana theatre, coastal rituals and village storytelling traditions — all of which later infused his films with authenticity. Shetty moved to Bengaluru for college (Vijaya College) and continued his theatre practice there, which helped shape his approach to storytelling and performance.

Struggle, training and early work

Like many resilient artists, Shetty’s path wasn’t linear. During his early days in the industry he juggled odd jobs — from selling water cans to working in hotels and film sets — while learning the craft. He also completed a diploma in film direction and started working as a clap boy, spot boy and assistant director before landing on-screen roles and taking the director’s chair. That period of hard graft gave him both humility and the practical skills of filmmaking.

First steps into film: acting and assistant roles

Rishab’s on-screen journey began with small but memorable roles. He appeared in Tuglak (2012) and had roles in acclaimed projects like Lucia (small role) and Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014), where he started to get noticed for his presence and grounded acting. Parallel to acting, he experimented with writing and direction — skills that would position him strongly once he stepped up to helm his own features.

Directorial debut and the rise: Ricky → Kirik Party

Shetty made his directorial debut with Ricky (2016), but it was Kirik Party (also 2016) that marked a turning point. Kirik Party (directed by Rishab Shetty) became a huge commercial success in Kannada cinema — a youth comedy-drama that struck a chord with college audiences and launched a new phase of recognition for him as a director capable of handling crowd-pleasing material with heart. The film’s success helped open doors to bigger producers, wider audiences and more ambitious projects.

Building a distinct voice: folk, place and ritual

What sets Rishab Shetty apart is the recurring interest in folk practices, land, and ritual. His cinematic voice is built on place-based storytelling — coastal Karnataka, its festivals, its rhythms and its power dynamics. That aesthetic and thematic focus created a bridge between local authenticity and pan-Indian appeal when he later made Kantara.

Kantara — breakout, controversy, and cultural moment

Kantara (2022) was the film that took Rishab Shetty from a respected regional director to a national figure. Written and directed by Shetty (and starring him in the lead), Kantara blends action, folklore, spirit-possession rituals and a very localized conflict over land and tradition. The film opened to critical praise and became one of Kannada cinema’s biggest box-office successes, earning massive revenue and becoming a cultural flashpoint that sparked conversations across India and beyond.

At the 70th National Film Awards, Shetty’s performance in Kantara was formally recognized: he won the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the film won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award — major national honors that cemented his status.

Notable films and roles

• Tuglak (actor)
• Lucia (small role)
• Ulidavaru Kandanthe (actor)
• Ricky (director, 2016)
• Kirik Party (director, 2016) — commercial hit.
• Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai (associated)
• Kantara (writer-director-lead, 2022) — national breakout.

Awards, honours and recognition

Rishab Shetty’s awards run — especially after Kantara — includes major state and national honours, Filmfare/SIIMA recognition for directing and acting and festival accolades. The National Film Award for Best Actor (70th edition) is among the most notable, as it marked a rare national-level recognition for a performance rooted deeply in regional tradition.

Personal life

Rishab Shetty is married to Pragathi Shetty (married in 2017). The couple has two children — a son and a daughter — and Shetty often shares glimpses of family life on social media. Despite the pressures of stardom, interviews and appearances suggest he keeps a low-profile personal life and remains strongly connected to his hometown and local culture.

Style, themes and filmmaking approach

• Roots over gloss: Shetty’s films privilege lived-in performances and location authenticity over superficial gloss.
• Ritual & nature: Folklore and ritual (yakshagana, Bhuta Kola, folk belief) are central to Kantara and other projects.
• Actor-director synergy: As someone who acts and directs, he uses performance as a lens for directing — physically intense, often improvised-feeling scenes that trust local performers and rhythms.

What’s next / recent developments

Following the global success of Kantara, Shetty expanded the storyworld with a prequel/sequel project (Kantara: Chapter 1 / Kantara Chapter 1) and has been linked to other ambitious projects, collaborations and writing assignments in the wider pan-Indian film space. These moves show how regional auteurs can scale storytelling to larger markets while keeping their roots intact.

FAQs

Q1: When and where was Rishab Shetty born?

A: He was born on 7 July 1983 in Keradi village near Kundapura in Udupi district, Karnataka.

Q2: Which film made Rishab Shetty a national name?

A: Kantara (2022) — it became a major box-office hit and led to national awards and widespread recognition.

Q3: Has Rishab Shetty won any National Film Awards?

A: Yes. He won the Best Actor award at the 70th National Film Awards for Kantara.

Q4: What are Rishab Shetty’s signature themes?

A: Folk rituals, the clash between modern law and traditional belief, strong sense of place, and physically committed performances.

Q5: Is Rishab Shetty only an actor?

A: No — he is an actor, director, writer and producer, active across many roles in Kannada cinema.

Conclusion

Rishab Shetty’s trajectory — from Keradi’s local stages to the national spotlight — underscores how anchored, culturally specific storytelling can resonate widely.

His commitment to place, ritual and authentic performances has reshaped expectations of regional cinema and created a pathway for other filmmakers who want to tell local stories with universal impact.

Whether you’re discovering his work for the first time or re-watching Kantara to catch every detail, Shetty remains an essential filmmaker to follow in Indian cinema.