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 has worked in many films across different languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English, and Hindi.
Prakash Raj has won many important awards for his work. These include five National Film Awards and several other awards from different film industries. He is known for being able to speak many languages, which has made him a very popular actor in Indian cinema.
Before becoming a film star, he worked in stage shows and television in Kannada. He started his film career in Tamil cinema with the movie Duet in 1994. This film was directed by K. Balachander. He even named his production company Duet Movies after this important film.
Prakash Raj is known for playing many different kinds of roles. He often plays the villain or a strong supporting character. He won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Iruvar in 1998. He also won a National Film Award for Best Actor in 2007 for his role in the Tamil film Kanchivaram.
As a producer, he won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada for Puttakkana Highway in 2011. He also hosted the second season of the TV show Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi.
Contents
About Prakash Raj's Life
Early Life and Family
Prakash Raj was born as Prakash Rai on March 26, 1965, in Bangalore, Karnataka. His father was from the Tulu community, and his mother was from the Kannadiga community. He has a brother named Prasad Raj, who is also an actor.
He went to St. Joseph's Indian High School and then to St. Joseph's College of Commerce in Bangalore. Actress Geetha introduced him to the famous 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.
Marriage and Children
Prakash Raj married actress Lalitha Kumari in 1994. They had two daughters, Meghana and Pooja, and a son named Sidhu. Sadly, their son Sidhu passed away in 2004 at the age of five. Prakash Raj and Lalitha Kumari divorced in 2009.
Later, he married choreographer Pony Verma on August 24, 2010. They have a son named Vedhanth, who was born in 2015. Prakash Raj identifies himself as a non-believer, even though his father was Hindu and his mother was Roman Catholic.
Prakash Raj's Film Journey
Acting Career Highlights
Prakash Raj started his acting career by performing in many stage shows. He also appeared in television shows like Bisilu Kudure and Guddada Bhootha. He then began taking on supporting roles in Kannada films. People noticed his strong dialogue delivery and acting skills.
His big break came with the film Harakeya Kuri. The lead actress of that film, Geetha, introduced him to director K. Balachander. This led to his first major role in the Tamil film Duet, where he was given the name "Prakash Raj."
In 1997, he returned to Kannada films with Nagamandala. He also acted in Mani Ratnam's film Iruvar in 1997. This movie was about the relationship between politicians M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi. For his role in Iruvar, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Prakash Raj has acted in many Malayalam films, including The Prince and Indraprastham. He often uses his own voice for his characters in Malayalam movies. He has also appeared in many Telugu films, such as Antahpuram (1998), which earned him a special award.
He has also become a regular villain in Hindi language Bollywood movies. Some of his well-known Hindi films include Wanted, Singham, and Dabangg 2. He has worked with famous actors like Kamal Haasan in films like Vasool Raja MBBS and Thoongaa Vanam.
Directing Films
Prakash Raj started directing films with Naanu Nanna Kanasu in Kannada in 2010. He was also a producer for this film. It was a big success in Karnataka. He was even nominated for a "Best Director" award for this movie.
He then directed a film called Dhoni, which was made in both Telugu and Tamil. In 2014, he directed another multilingual film. This film was called Oggarane in Kannada, Ulavacharu Biryani in Telugu, and Un Samayal Arayil in Tamil. The Kannada version of this film was a huge hit.
Producing Films
Prakash Raj began producing films with the Tamil movie Dhaya in 2002. He also starred in this film. For his performance in Dhaya, he received a special award. He has produced many other Tamil films, including Mozhi (2007) and Abhiyum Naanum (2008).
His first non-Tamil film as a producer was his directorial debut, Naanu Nanna Kanasu, in Kannada. In 2011, he acted in and co-produced the Kannada film Puttakkana Highway. This film won him a National Award for Best Regional Film. He has continued to produce films in various languages, including Payanam and Gouravam.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
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 helping communities.
Awards and Recognition
Prakash Raj has received many awards throughout his career for his acting, directing, and producing. These awards recognize his talent and hard work in the Indian film industry.
Political Involvement
Prakash Raj became more active in politics after the assassination of his friend Gauri Lankesh in September 2017. He started using the hashtag #justasking on social media to raise questions and discuss important issues.
He ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 Indian general election for the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. Although he did not win the election, he received a significant number of votes.
