Prakash Raj facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prakash Raj
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Raj at the 2018 Kerala Literature Festival
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Prakash Rai
26 March 1965 Bangalore, Mysore State, India
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| Years active | 1986–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Full list |
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai on March 26, 1965) is a famous Indian actor, film director, producer, and television host. He is also involved in politics. He is well-known for his work in many different language films, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English, and Hindi.
Prakash Raj has won many awards, like five National Film Awards and several Filmfare Awards South. He speaks many languages, such as Tulu, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, English, and Marathi. This has made him one of the most popular actors in Indian cinema.
Before acting in movies, he worked in stage shows and on television in Kannada. He started his film career in Tamil cinema with the movie Duet in 1994. He even named his film company "Duet Movies" to remember this important start. He often plays different kinds of roles, from villains to important supporting characters.
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About Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj was born as Prakash Rai on March 26, 1965, in Bangalore, India. His father was from the Tulu community, and his mother was from the Kannada community. He has a brother named Prasad Raj, who is also an actor.
He went to St. Joseph's Indian High School and then St. Joseph's College of Commerce in Bangalore. A famous actress named Geetha helped him meet the well-known Tamil film director K. Balachander. It was K. Balachander who suggested he change his last name from 'Rai' to 'Raj'. In his home state of Karnataka, some people still call him Prakash Rai.
Prakash Raj married actress Lalitha Kumari in 1994. They had two daughters and a son. They later divorced in 2009. In 2010, he married choreographer Pony Verma, and they have a son born in 2015.
Film Journey
Prakash Raj started his acting career on stage, performing in many street plays. He earned about ₹300 a month in the early days. He has performed in about 2,000 street theatre shows!
As an Actor
Prakash Raj began his television career with shows like Bisilu Kudure and Guddada Bhootha. He then started getting supporting roles in Kannada films. People noticed his strong acting and how well he delivered his lines. A big moment in his career was the film Harakeya Kuri. The lead actress, Geetha, introduced him to director K. Balachander, who gave him his first major role in the Tamil film Duet.
He later returned to Kannada films with Nagamandala in 1997. He also acted in Mani Ratnam's film Iruvar in 1997, where he won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has acted in many films in different languages, including Malayalam films like The Prince and Indraprastham. He often uses his own voice for his characters in Malayalam movies.
Prakash Raj has also been in many Telugu films, such as Antahpuram (1998), which earned him a special award. He has played important roles in Hindi films too, often as a villain, in movies like Wanted, Singham, and Dabangg 2. He has worked with famous actors like Kamal Haasan in Vasool Raja MBBS and Thoongaa Vanam.
As a Director
Prakash Raj also directs films. His first movie as a director was Naanu Nanna Kanasu in Kannada in 2010. He was also a producer for this film. It was a big hit and stayed in theaters for 125 days! He was even nominated for "Best Director" for this film.
He then directed a film called Dhoni, which was made in both Telugu and Tamil. In 2014, he directed a film that was released in three languages: Oggarane (Kannada), Ulavacharu Biryani (Telugu), and Un Samayal Arayil (Tamil). The Kannada version, Oggarane, was a huge success.
As a Film Producer
Prakash Raj started producing films with the Tamil movie Dhaya in 2002. He also acted in this film and won a special award for his performance. He has produced many other successful Tamil films, including Mozhi (2007) and Abhiyum Naanum (2008), which won several awards.
His first non-Tamil film as a producer was his own directorial debut, Naanu Nanna Kanasu, which was a remake of his Tamil production Abhiyum Naanum. In 2011, he produced the Kannada film Puttakkana Highway, which won a National Award for Best Regional Film. He has continued to produce many films in different languages, with Oggarane being a big hit in 2014.
Helping Others
Prakash Raj has adopted two villages to help them develop. These villages are Kondareddypalle in Mahabubnagar District, Telangana state, and Bandlarahatti in Chitradurga district, Karnataka state. This shows his commitment to humanitarian work.
Awards and Recognition
Prakash Raj has received many awards throughout his career for his acting, directing, and producing. Some of his notable awards include:
- Five National Film Awards
- Eight Nandi Awards
- Eight Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
- Six Filmfare Awards South
- Four SIIMA Awards
- Three CineMAA Awards
- Three Vijay Awards
Political Journey
Prakash Raj became more active in politics after the assassination of his friend, journalist Gauri Lankesh, in September 2017. He started a movement on social media using the hashtag #justasking.
In 2019, he ran for election as an independent candidate for the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. Even though he did not win the election, he showed his interest in making a difference in society through politics.
