Ravichandran (Kannada actor)

Ravichandran was born in Tirunelveli, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu), India to Tamil speaking parents N. Veeraswamy and Pattammal. His father is N. Veeraswamy was a producer of South Indian film industry. Ravichandran married Sumathi, on the Valentine's Day; 14 February 1986.[5] The couple has a daughter Geethanjali, two sons Manoranjan and Vikram. Manoranjan made his acting debut with Saheba (2017).[6][7]

He made his first on screen appearance as child actor in Dhoomakethu and Kula Gourava - both starring Dr.Rajkumar, the latter also being his father's first movie as independent producer.[8] He made his debut as a producer with Prema Matsara (1982). He began his acting career with an antagonist role in Khadeema Kallaru (1982) which was produced by him. His second film was Chakravyuha (1983) which was also co-produced by him. He then appeared in few more successful films before casting himself in Premaloka (1987) which turned out to be a blockbuster. He is often considered as "The Show Man" of Kannada cinema for his multi-faceted works in his associated films.[9]

Ravichandran initially acted in and directed movies produced by his own banner, Eswari Productions. After Premaloka, he accepted acting offers from other producers. He has worked with leading directors of the Kannada film industry such as Rajendra Singh Babu and D. Rajendra Babu. His association with D. Rajendra Babu is very successful, resulting in several hits, including Naanu Nanna Hendthi (1985), Ramachaari (1991), Sriramachandra (1992), Annayya (1993) and Yaare Neenu Cheluve (1998).[10]

However, his biggest setback as a producer was Shanti Kranti (1991) which was the costliest film he ever made. The film was a multilingual project with Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna in prominent roles in Tamil and Telugu respectively. It flopped in all languages. The failure put Ravichandran in financial distress, forcing him to rely on remakes of hit Tamil and Telugu films. As he resurrected his career with Ramachaari (1991), Halli Meshtru (1992), Putnanja (1995) and Kanasugara (2001). He also revealed his ability to present remakes in a fresh manner. After Ravichandran and Hamsalekha decided to end their long-standing partnership, it was downhill for both of them. In 2002, Ravichandran embarked on an eccentric film called Ekangi and it was a colossal bust. Shot inside a massive glass mansion built at a cost of Rs 80 lakh, the narrative was a confused, misguided take on loneliness. Once again, fans found consolation in the film’s songs. The grand success of Malla (2004) helped him recover. After that, Ravichandran lost his magic.[11]

He started his company Eswari Audio later to be known as Eswari Entertainments. He was also awarded as the Best Musical Director on the state level. He not only brought the trend of Big-Budget Movies to Kannada cinema but also brought in Digital Grading technology. He started selling music cassettes through cable operators to beat piracy. Ravichandran was also seen on television as a judge in Dancing-star season-2 on Colors Kannada.[12]

Ravichandran played his age and performed well in Maanikya (2014), Drishya (2014) and Hebbuli (2017).

In 2019, Ravichandran played the role of Krishna in Kurukshetra. This is the first legendary film for the craziest star in the industry for nearly three decades.[13] The mega-budget film, produced by Munirathna, is directed by Naganna, It has been reported that the film, which was released in 2D and 3D, has become one of the highest-grossing Kannada films. Kurukshetra was also among the 28 films, from which the jury selected India’s official entry to the Oscars.[14]

Cinema Express Awards

• Cinema Express Award For Best Debut Director - Premaloka - 1987
• Cinema Express Award For Best Actor - Premaloka - 1987
• Cinema Express Award For Best Director - Ranadheera - 1989

Karnataka State Film Awards

• Karnataka State Film Award (Special Jury Award) – Shanti Kranti
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor – Ekangi (2001–02)
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Director for Ekangi (2001–02)
• Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director for Ekangi (2001–02)
• Puttanna Kanagal Award for Lifetime Achievement (2005–06)

Other Awards

• Suvarna Film Awards for Lifetime Achievement
• Rajyotsava Awards (2010)
• Udaya Film Award for Best Supporting Actor – Aham Premasmi
• NTR National Award-2013
• Honorary Doctorate From CMR University - 2019
• Honorary Doctorate From Bangalore university - 2022[15]

100 years Cinima function Medel

• Ravichandran at IMDb