Prajwal Devaraj
Indian film actor
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Prajwal Devaraj (born 4 July 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Kannada cinema.[2] The son of veteran actor Devaraj, Prajwal made his debut with the Kannada film Sixer (2007) for which he won the Best Debut actor award at the Suvarna Film Awards.[3] This was followed by the gangster drama Geleya (2007) which was a box-office success. Prajwal was in recent films like Chowka (2017), Gentleman (2020) and Inspector Vikram (2021).[4]
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His films include Meravanige (2008), Gulama (2009), Murali Meets Meera (2011), Super Shastri (2013) and Galaate (2013). For his performance in Gentleman (2020), he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor.[5]
Early life
Prajwal Devaraj was born on 4 July 1987 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, to actor Devaraj and Chandralekha, a former actress and producer. He has a younger brother, Pranam, who acted in Kumari 21F (2018).[6] Prajwal completed his schooling at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School, Bengaluru, and graduated with a degree in Management from Jain University’s Center for Management Studies. Before entering films, he trained in dance and participated in cultural programs.[7][8]
Career
2007–2010: Debut and Early Success
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Prajwal made his debut as a lead actor in Sixer (2007), playing Rahul, a young underworld don.[9] Directed by Shashank, the film earned him the Suvarna Film Award for Best Debut Actor. The same year, he starred in Geleya, a gangster drama directed by A. Harsha.[10] He continued his success with romantic dramas like Meravanige (2008) and Gange Baare Thunge Baare (2008).[citation needed]
2011–2016: Establishing as a Leading Actor
Prajwal appeared in films such as Murali Meets Meera (2011), a romantic drama, and Super Shastri (2012),[11]. Other notable releases include Galaate (2013), Angaaraka (2014), and Neenade Naa (2014), his first home production.[12] In Bhujanga (2016), his 25th film, Prajwal played a mass hero role, marking a shift toward action-oriented characters.[13]
2017–2021: Critical Acclaim
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Prajwal’s performance in Chowka (2017), a multi-starrer directed by Tharun Sudhir, was widely appreciated. His career-defining role came in Gentleman (2020), directed by Jadesh Kumar Hampe, where he portrayed Bharath, a man with narcolepsy.[14] The film earned him the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and the SIIMA Critics Award for Best Actor – Kannada.[15][16]
2022–Present: Latest projects
Recent works include Abbara (2022), Veeram (2023), and Tatsama Tadbhava (2023), where he played intense roles in thrillers and action dramas. Upcoming projects include Gana, Rakshasa, and Mafia.[17]
Personal life
Filmography
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sixer | Rahul | Won—Suvarna Best Debut Actor | [20] |
| Geleya | Guru | [21] | ||
| 2008 | Gange Baare Thunge Baare | Harsha | [22] | |
| Meravanige | Vijay | [23] | ||
| 2009 | Jeeva | Jeeva | [24] | |
| Gulama | Anil | |||
| Kencha | Rahul | |||
| 2010 | Nannavanu | Bharadwaj | ||
| 2011 | Kote | Vignesh | ||
| Murali Meets Meera | Murali | |||
| Mr. Duplicate | Nandu | |||
| Bhadra | Bhadra | |||
| 2012 | Sagar | Sagar | ||
| Gokula Krishna | Krishna | |||
| Super Shastri | Subramanya Shastri | |||
| 2013 | Galaate | Abhi | ||
| Ziddi | Krishna | |||
| 2014 | Angaaraka | Viji | ||
| Savaal | Arjun | |||
| Jamboo Savari | Balu | |||
| Neenade Naa | Dev | First home production film | ||
| 2015 | Mrugashira | Prajwal | ||
| Arjuna | Arjun | |||
| 2016 | Madha Mathu Manasi | Mass Madha | ||
| Bhujanga | Bhujanga | 25th film | [25] | |
| 2017 | Chowka | Mohammed Anwar | ||
| 2018 | Life Jothe Ondh Selfie | Virat | ||
| Ananthu vs Nusrath | Dr. Nisar Ahmed | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2019 | Yajamana | Himself | Cameo appearance in the "Shivanandi" song | |
| Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya | Jeeva | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2020 | Gentleman | Bharath | Won—SIIMA Award Best Actor Critics – Kannada Won—Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor |
[26] |
| 2021 | Inspector Vikram | Vikram | ||
| Arjun Gowda | Arjun Gowda | [27] | ||
| 2022 | Abbara | Shiva | [28] | |
| 2023 | Veeram | Veeru | [29] | |
| Tatsama Tadbhava | Aravind Ashwatthama | |||
| 2025 | Gana | Gana | [30][31] | |
| Rakshasa | Satya | [32] | ||
| 2026 | Mafia † | Dr. Sathyanarayan | Filming | [33] |
Television
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dance Dance | Judge | [34][35] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Category | Award | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Debut Male Actor | Suvarna Film Awards | Sixer | Won | [36] |
| 2020 | Best Actor | Karnataka State Film Awards | Gentleman | Won | [37] |
| Best Actor (critics) | South Indian International Movie Awards | Won | [38] | ||
| Best Actor – Kannada | Filmfare Awards South | Nominated | [39] | ||
| Best Actor | South Indian International Movie Awards | Nominated |
