Kannada actors who turned directors

Filmmaking, unlike most art forms, allows one to dabble with several disciplines. There have been a number of polymathic geniuses in the history of the craft who have mastered the various different facets of filmmaking. India's own Satyajit Ray wasn't just a prolific filmmaker but was also a music composer, novelist, and art director who conceived many intricate set designs for his projects. In the same vein, many actors too have taken up newer roles during their course and have laid new foundations for themselves with regards to longevity and experimentation. The Kannada Film Industry is no alien to this concept as a number of actors have donned the director's hat over the years and as a result, presented a newer version of themselves. So, let's take a look at some of the most popular artists in the industry who have successfully turned directors.

P.S.: We have only considered actors who have directed at least two films to compose this list

Image Courtesy: Facebook

Mr. Karnad began his illustrious career as a playwright and would foray into cinema as an actor through Pattabhirama Reddy's pathbreaking 1970 film 'Samskara'. Karnad also served as the film's co-writer and would soon after venture into film direction with 'Vamsha Vriksha'. Through his long and highly accoladed career, Girish Karnad directed a number of films with a strong gaze on subjects that were taboo and controversial. Karnad was awarded the Jnanpith Award in 1998.

Image Courtesy: Facebook

A budding theatre practitioner in Mumbai, Shankar Nagarakatte entered the KFI in the capacity of an actor. He made his Kannada debut with Girish Karnad's 'Ondanondu Kaladalli' in 1977 for which he won the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Actor and soon progressed to become a bonafide talent in the industry. However, Nag wasn't going to settle with just acting and it was quite apparent that he was well equipped to take up bigger responsibilities. He had already turned writer with the Marathi film '22 June 1897' and the next big move came about two years later when he wrote, produced, directed, and acted in the cult-classic 'Minchina Ota'. A rarity in the industry at the time, Shankar Nag managed to transcend the general expectation from an actor and took on many such exciting challenges in his decade and a half long career. He has many classics to his name as a writer-director, including the super successful TV show 'Malgudi Days', and despite his untimely and tragic passing in 1992, the legacy remains untainted and inspiring.

Image Courtesy: Facebook

Much like Shankar Nag, Upendra too has a strong niche for himself and his many million fans recognize him mainly for the maverick qualities in his films. Upendra started out as an actor but on a humble note wherein he performed in incredibly small roles until bigger, and more appropriate, opportunities came calling. He would start his directorial career with the 1992 hit film 'Tharle Nan Maga' and then deliver back-to-back cult favorites 'Shhh!' and 'Om'. Following the gigantic success of these films, Upendra directed the film 'A' and 'Upendra' with himself in the lead role, thus embarking on a full-fledged acting journey. This triggered a new chapter in his life and he would return to direct more than a decade later with 'Super' and then 'Uppi 2' in 2015.

Image Courtesy: Facebook

Son of notable film producer N. Veeraswamy, Ravichandran started as a child actor in Dr. Rajkumar's 1971 'Kula Gourava'. Through the '80s, up till 1986/87, Ravichandran had a worthwhile career but it was the 1987 blockbuster 'Premaloka' that made a huge impact on his career. And the main highlight here is, of course, Ravichandran's direction. An instrumental move in his career, taking up direction not only set the Crazy Star apart from his peers but it also seemed to have liberated him. He would go on to direct a number of cult classics post the success of 'Prema Loka' and films like 'Ranadheera', 'Shanti Kranti', and 'Putnanja' are still favorites to many.

Image Courtesy: Facebook

A distinguished performer across languages, Ramesh Aravind was never part of the industry rat race as he carved his own perfect space as an actor. He is part of some of the most iconic films of his generation but the buck didn't stop there for him. He took on the role of a director in 2005 when he remade the classic Tamil comedy 'Sathi Leelavathi' in Kannada as 'Rama Shama Bhama'. Perhaps, the foray into this new territory suited Ramesh Aravind quite well as he would go on to direct seven more films with another project already in the making.

Image Courtesy: Facebook

Although Rishab Shetty saw no overnight success like his close associate Rakshit, his career too began as an actor with key roles in films like 'Attahasa', 'Lucia', and 'Ulidavaru Kandanthe'. In his case too, it became apparent quite soon that he had bigger creative plans on the mind and in this pursuit, went on to take up film direction with the 2016 film 'Ricky'. Soon after, he would direct the very popular 'Kirik Party' and stamp his authority on the industry.

Image Courtesy: Facebook