Rakshit Shetty Height, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Names Earned	Simple Star of Sandalwood [1]The Times of India
Profession(s)	Ator, Film Producer, Writer, Filmmaker
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 178 cm in meters- 1.78 m in feet & inches- 5’ 10”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	As an Actor Film (Kannada): Nam Areal Ond Dina (2010) as Aravind As an Director Film (Kannada): (2014)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Karnataka State Film Award for Director’s First Time Best Film for Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) • Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada for Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2015) • Behindwoods Gold Medal for Best Filmmaker Kannada for Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2015) • KAFTA Awards for Best Lyrics for Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2017) • IIFA Utsavam Award for Performance In A Supporting Role – Male for Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2017) • IIFA Utsavam Award for Best Lyrics for Kirik Party (2017) • IIFA Utsavam Award for Best Film for Kirik Party (2017) • IIFA Utsavam Award for Performance In A Leading Role – Male for Kirik Party (2017) • Karnataka State Film Award for Best Family Entertainer for Kirik Party (2017) • Filmfare Award for Best Actor: Critics for Kirik Party (2017) • South Indian International Movie Awards for Best Film for Kirik Party (2017) • South Indian International Movie Awards for Entertainer of the Year for Kirik Party (2017) • South Indian International Movie Awards in the category of Best Actor: Critics for Avane Srimannarayana (2020) • National Film Award for Best Regional Film Award- Kannada for 777 Charlie (2022) • South Indian International Movie Award for Best Feature Film for 777 Charlie (2022) • South Indian International Movie Award for Special Award – Best Actor for 777 Charlie (2022) • Pioneering Contribution in New Wave Cinema Award at OTTPlay Awards 2023 for 777 Charlie (2021) and Sapta Sagaradaache Ello (2023)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	6 June 1983 (Monday)
Age (as of 2024)	41 Years
Birthplace	Mangaluru, Karnataka
Zodiac sign	Gemini
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mangaluru, Karnataka
School	• Mukunda Kripa School, Udupi, Karnataka (Till Class 7) • MGM College, Kunjibettu, Udupi (Pre-University course)
College/University	N.M.A.M. Institute of Technology, Nitte, Karkala
Educational Qualification	Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications [2]The Times of India
Religion	Hinduism Note: He is an avid follower of the Hindu goddess Mookambika. [3]The Times of India
Caste	He belongs to a Tulu-speaking Hindu Bunt community. [4]The Times of India
Controversies	Sued Under the Copyright Act: In 2017, Lahari Recording Company filed a complaint under the Copyright Act against Paramvah Studios Pvt Ltd, Rakshit Shetty, and Ajaneesh Loknath. Shetty and Loknath were accused of using a song from 'Shanti Kranti' in the film 'Kirik Party' (2016) without permission. The disputed song, 'Hey Who Are You,' was alleged to be a replica of 'Madhyarathrili' from the 1992 film 'Shanthi Kranthi,' composed by Hamsalekha. Lahari Recording Company claimed ownership of the original copyrights for the song and asserted that it was reused in 'Kirik Party' without proper consent. [5]The Times of India In 2020, the 9th ACMM court issued a non-bailable warrant after Shetty and Loknath failed to appear for previous hearings. Rakshit Shetty later clarified on Twitter that he had already won the case in the previous year and had received a 10-lakh security deposit back from the court. [6]The Times of India In the tweet, he wrote, "We have won the case in Civil court and the High court. What’s the point in filing another case on the same issue? Also the second case was filed six months back but none of us, including our lawyers, were informed regarding the same. Why (sic).”
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends	Rashmika Mandanna (actress) (2015-2018)
Fiancée	Rashmika Mandanna (actress)
Engagement Date	3 July 2017
Family
Wife/Spouse	N/A
Parents	Father- Shridhar Shetty (civil contractor) Mother- Ranjini Shetty
Siblings	Brother- Ranjit Shetty (image in Parents section) Sister- Rashmith Shetty
Favourites
Director(s)	Quentin Tarantino, Puttanna Kanagal, Shankar Nag
Actor(s)	Rajkumar, Anant Nag
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Audi Q8

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rakshit Shetty

• Rakshit Shetty is an Indian actor, film producer, writer, and filmmaker who works in the Kannada film industry. He has achieved notable recognition, earning one National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South, two Karnataka State Film Awards, and five SIIMA Awards. He is well-known for playing Richard Anthony aka Richi in the Kannada film Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014). Apart from that, he is also known for starring in the Kannada films Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2015), Kirik Party (2016), Avane Srimannarayana (2019), and 777 Charlie (2021). He runs his own production and distribution company named Paramvah Studios.

• He spent his childhood in Udupi and Mangaluru in Karnataka.
  

  A childhood picture of Rakshit Shetty

• Ever since he was a child, he dreamed of becoming an actor. His big brother, who used to buy film magazines, would share exciting stories about actors, like how they got to wear fancy clothes in song scenes and sometimes even kept them. Rakshit loved dressing up as a kid, and the concept of bringing home an entire collection of clothes fascinated him.

• He got into acting during third grade when he participated in a school play with his elder sister.

• As he grew up, he enjoyed not only acting but also writing and directing plays, convincing his friends to act in them.

• Rakshit grew up in an extended family and often visited both his grandparents because they lived close by. Remembering the same in an interview, he said,
  

  My siblings and I used to walk to their houses. The journey was picturesque. We would pick berries on the way. Festivals were a treat, and summer vacations meant the entire family from across the country would come together.”

• Rakshit’s maternal uncle Prakash was involved in theatre and aspired to build a career in the film industry. When Rakshit was a kid, Prakash and Rakshit’s mother encouraged him to participate in different competitions, such as fancy dress.

• After completing Class 7, Rakshit shifted to an English-medium high school and completed his Pre-University course at MGM College, Kunjibettu, Udupi. His favourite subjects were Mathematics and Physics, leading him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications engineering.

• Initially, he commuted to college as a day scholar before eventually moving into a hostel.

• Rakshit was a mischievous student and often found himself in trouble. However, during his first year, he held the position of batch representative, granting him privileges that other students didn’t have.

• Although he didn’t undergo any formal training in filmmaking, he passionately studied scriptwriting, following the works of various filmmakers. He avidly followed directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Shankar Nag, and Anurag Kashyap, reading about them and watching interviews to grasp the intricacies of the craft. In an interview, he talked about his favourite director Quentin Tarantino and said,
  

  If you watch Tarantino’s films, you can learn a lot. Like in his Pulp Fiction , there is a scene which I still remember — a character opens a briefcase and just light comes out of it. Tarantino never shows what’s in there and leaves the interpretation to the audience. That somehow stuck in my head.”

• In 2006, after finishing college, he worked in Bengaluru as an IT professional for two years.

• At the same time, he began creating short films and interacting with filmmakers and theatre artists, venturing into the Kannada entertainment industry.

• In an interview, he talked about the beginning of his filmmaking career and said,
  

  I started writing and directing because I wanted to be an actor. When I came into the industry, the kind of films being churned out were definitely not what I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to make films that I would be proud of 20 years down the line. That was the idea with which I got into filmmaking.”

• While working in the IT industry, he began creating short films. Sometimes, he would borrow money from friends for production. He was in the process of making a film called “Confessions of a Dustbin” when he secured the role of Richard Anthony aka “Richi” in the critically acclaimed romantic comedy film Simple Agi Ondh Love Story (2013).
  

  A picture of Rakshit Shetty as Kushal in Simple Agi Ondh Love Story (2013)

• In 2013, he came into the spotlight with the critically acclaimed romantic comedy film Simple Agi Ondh Love Story in which he played the lead role of Kushal. The film went on to become a major box-office success.
  

  Rakshit Shetty as Richard Anthony aka “Richi” in Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014)

• In 2012, he appeared in the film Tuglak (2012) in which he played the role of an angry young man named Raaghu.

• In 2014, he rose to popularity with the neo-noir gangster film Ulidavaru Kandanthe in which he played the role of Richard Anthony aka “Richi.” The film was also written and directed by Rakshit Shetty. It is the first film in Kannada to be shot entirely in sync with sound technology. A cult classic, Ulidavaru Kandanthe was applauded for its representation of Tulu Nadu and its people. It earned Shetty prestigious awards like the Karnataka State Award for Best Debutant Director and the Filmfare Awards South in the Best Film category.

• Although he had written the script for Ulidavaru Kandanthe before Confessions of a Dustbin, he set it aside initially. When Suvin Cinemas expressed interest in producing the film, Shetty decided to proceed with it.

• He played the role of Kubera, a con artist who sells the idea of vastu, in the satirical comedy film Vaastu Prakaara (2015).

• He gained immense popularity with the romantic comedy film Kirik Party (2016) in which he played the role of a mischievous engineering student named Karna.
  

  Rakshit Shetty as Karna in Kirik Party (2016)

• He played the title role in the crime thriller film Ricky (2016), Rishab Shetty‘s directorial debut.

• Shetty played the lead role of Shiva V. Rao in the drama film Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016). The film is about Venkob Rao, an ordinary middle-class individual struggling with Alzheimer’s who goes missing, and his son, Shiva, a career-driven professional who is forced to pause his hectic life to search for his father.
  

  Poster of Kannada film Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016)

• In 2017, Rakshit Shetty and actress Rashmika Mandanna got engaged in a private ceremony held in Rashmika’s hometown of Virajpet, Karnataka. Their relationship began while working on the film Kirik Party (2016). Unfortunately, the couple decided to end their engagement in September 2018 due to reported compatibility issues.

• In 2019, Shetty appeared in the western fantasy adventure comedy film Avane Srimannarayana in which he played the lead role of Inspector Narayana.
  

  Rakshit Shetty as Inspector Narayana in Avane Srimannarayana (2019)

• He starred in the adventure drama film 777 Charlie (2022) in which he played the role of Dharmaraj Dattana or Dharma, a loner who comes across a pup named Charlie who changes his perspective towards life. The shooting process of this film took more than five years.
  

  Rakshit Shetty as Dharmaraj Dattana or Dharma in 777 Charlie (2022)

• He played the role of Manu in the romantic drama film series Sapta Saagaradaache Ello (2023). He is also the producer of the film. In the film, Manu and Priya, both coming from middle-class families, develop a romantic relationship. However, when Manu ends up in jail due to certain circumstances, it puts their relationship in trouble.
  

  Rakshit Shetty as Manu and Rukmini Vasanth as Priya in a still from the film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello (Side A)

• Other Kannada films produced by Shetty include Bheemasena Nalamaharaja (2020), Sakutumba Sametha (2022), and Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare (2022).

• During an interview, Rakshit shared that he had a particular fondness for the number six and that numbers divisible by three were lucky for him. ^[7]The Times of India He also said,
  

  However you add up my date of birth (June 6, 1983), the result is either three, six or nine…The attraction towards these numbers is more psychological. I haven’t asked for special numbers for my car or phone, but when I was presented the options, I chose those that added up to a multiple of three. I even keep the stereo volume and air conditioner temperature in my car at, say, 21 or 24 — multiples of three”

  Rakshit has been following this habit since he was a child. When he was young, the actor used to count the bites it took to eat things like a bun and used to set a target to finish it in six or nine bites (which are multiples of three). Rakshit believes that this behaviour originated from a desire to keep his active mind occupied.

• Rakshit also has a ‘book of dreams’ and holds the belief that anything he records in it eventually comes true. ^[8]The Times of India

• In 2019, he participated in the Bunts Premiere League (BPL) held at the Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management ground in Adyar, Mangaluru.

• In 2021, several Sandalwood actors and individuals proficient in the native Tulu language, such as Pruthvi Ambaar and Rakshit Shetty, utilized social media to advocate for the inclusion of Tulu in the official list of Indian languages. Shetty tweeted,
  

  The dance, speech and rituals of the Tulu people are part of the cultural pride of Karnataka. Let us all be united in this effort to give due respect to Tulu. May this long-standing request be accepted. Let Tulu language be official.”

• The characters in the film “Ulidavaru Kandanthe” (2014) were inspired by Rakshit Shetty’s childhood observations. Even the character he played in the film, Richie, was drawn from someone he knew. While talking about the same in an interview, he said,
  

  I had also heard legendary underworld stories. It is a known fact that Upudi and Mangaluru are connected with the underworld. I blended all those narrations and experiences and created characters for Ulidavarau…”

• In an interview, he mentioned that although he is a non-smoker, he has smoked cigarettes and cigars for the purpose of filming certain scenes in films.  ^[9]The New Indian Express

• He frequently enjoys drinking alcoholic beverages. ^[10]OTT play