Shiva Rajkumar

Hat-trick Hero is what the media and fans began calling Shiva Rajkumar after his first three films as a lead all succeeded. He was 24 when Anand (1986), produced by his mother, launched him, and Ratha Sapthami and Manamecchida Hudugi kept the run going. Born Nagaraju Shiva Puttaswamy, he is the eldest son of actor Rajkumar and producer Parvathamma; his brother Puneeth also acted in films. After brief childhood appearances, he graduated in science and trained in acting and Kuchipudi in Chennai. Over three decades in Kannada cinema he has appeared in more than 125 films, and he also produces and presents television. The gangster drama Om (1995) won him his first Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award. More Filmfare awards came for Nammoora Mandara Hoove and A. K. 47, and Hrudaya Hrudaya (1999) brought a second state award. In all he holds four Karnataka State Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards South. Janumada Jodi, Jogi, Bhajarangi, Mufti and Tagaru are among his other titles. In 2010 he began hosting the talk show Naaniruvude Nimagagi on Zee Kannada. Outside Kannada he has made cameo appearances in the Telugu film Gautamiputra Satakarni and in the Tamil film Jailer (2023) as Narasimha, a role he reprised in Jailer 2 (2026).