Dingri Nagaraj (born 6 June 1948)
is an Indian actor who works primarily in
Kannada cinema
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. Kannada cinema is based in Gandhi Nagar ...
,
stage
Stage, stages, or staging may refer to:
Arts and media Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
and television. He is known for his portrayal of comedic characters. He received praise for his roles in films such as ''
Solillada Saradara
''Solillada Saradara'' () is a 1992 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed and written by Om Sai Prakash and produced by K. Prabhakar. The film stars Ambareesh, Malashri
Malashree (born Sridurga Pandey) is an Indian actress ...
'' (1992), ''
Dore
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Geography Places
*Dore, South Yorkshire, England
** Dore and Totley, electoral ward that includes this village
* Abbey Dore, village in Herefordshire, England
*Dore, in the district of Gweedore, Ireland
* Dore Lake, ...
'' (1995) and ''
Bangarada Kalasha'' (1995). He has appeared in a total of more than 600 Kannada-language films, and is a recipient of awards such as the
Kempegowda Award
The Kempegowda Award or Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Award is a civilian award presented annually by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
The award nomination is based on the notable contributions of civilians, in t ...
and Karnataka Nataka Academy Award.
He has served as president of the Kannada Supporting Artists Association.
Early life
Nagaraj was born into a
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India
** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language.
* Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
-speaking family in
Bangalore
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
.
His father, Keshav Naidu, was a school teacher and mother, Sharadamma, a homemaker. He has an older sister, Ranganayaki. His mother died soon after his birth. Nagaraj was homeschooled till he reached class seven, before he joined Arya Vidya Shala in the city where he reached his
matriculation
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
. Influenced by his father who took to acting in the early 1950s, Nagaraj too joined
Subbaiah Naidu
Mysore Venkatappa Subbaiah Naidu (1896 – 21 July 1962) was an Indian theatre and film actor. He was well known for his work in films like ''Sati Sulochana'' (1934)the first Kannada talkie film, '' Bhookailas'' (1940) in Telugu, and '' Bhakta ...
's theatre group and began performing in
plays
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
such as ''Sri Jagajyothi Basaveshwara'', ''Bhaktha Kumbara'' and ''Bedara Kannappa'' as a child actor.
Career
In 1954, Nagaraj joined
Gubbi Veeranna
Gubbi Hampanna Veeranna (1891 – 1972) was an Indian theatre director. He was one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, ''Gubbi Sree Channabasaveshwara Nataka Company'', which play ...
's group, following his father, where he acted in plays such as ''Lava Kusha''. While there, he shared stage with future film actors and his colleagues,
Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the his ...
and
Leelavathi.
He was given the name nickname Dingri here by a set designer, after one of the characters in the 1951 Telugu-language film ''
Pathala Bhairavi
''Pathala Bhairavi'' () is a 1951 Indian fantasy film directed by K. V. Reddy who co-wrote the film with Pingali and Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, the film was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakra ...
''. Upon failing to clear the matriculation examination, Nagaraj decided to pursue acting fulltime and joined another theatre group, Hirannaiah Mitra Mandali, led and run by
Master Hirannaiah
Hirannaiah or Hirannayya, known by his stage name Master Hirannaiah (15 February 1934 – 2 May 2019), was an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. His films include ''...Re'' (2016), '' Care of Foo ...
, in 1966.
In 1969, Nagaraj began working at the
Indian Telephone Industries Limited
ITI Limited, earlier known as Indian Telephone Industries Limited, is a central public sector undertaking in India. It is under the ownership of Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
History
It w ...
, where he met Maruthi Shivaram, who cast him in his film, ''
Parasangada Gendethimma
''Parasangada Gendethimma'' ( ) is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language drama film directed by Maruthi Shivram, based on a novel of the same by Srikrishna Alanahalli. It stars Lokesh in the lead role and the supporting cast features Reeta Anchan, B. R. ...
'' (1978), which would be the former's film debut as an actor. He also served as production assistant on the
set
Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics
*Set (mathematics), a collection of elements
*Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively
Electro ...
s of the film. After the choreographer failed to show up, Nagaraj filled in for him, starting with the picturization of "Thera Eri Ambaradaage", and later, the remaining song sequences. Nagaraj appeared in a supporting role along the lead,
Lokesh
Lokesh (; 19 May 1947 – 14 October 2004) was an Indian actor who appeared in Kannada cinema.
Lokesh made his film debut in the 1958 film '' Bhakta Prahlada''. He had thrice won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor during his care ...
. The film proved to be a commercial success, and Nagaraj won praise for his performance. K. V. Jayaram, the assistant director of the film, then cast him his directorial, ''Maralu Sarpani''. He would go on to work with other directors such as
V. Somashekhar,
D. Rajendra Babu
D. Rajendra Babu (30 March 1951 – 3 November 2013) was an Indian filmmaker and screenplay writer in Kannada cinema. He has directed over 50 films in various genres, most of them being sentimental films. He wrote and directed numerous blockbus ...
and
Rajendra Singh Babu
S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu (born 22 October 1952) is an Indian filmmaker and occasional actor who works primarily in Kannada cinema. He was born and brought up in Mysore. His father Shankar Singh produced many films under the banner Mahatma Pict ...
. Producer Abbaiah Naidu first hired Nagaraj as a
dubbing
Dubbing (also known as re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and the video production process where supplementary recordings (known as doubles) are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production audio to cr ...
artist, and would then frequently cast him as an actor in his films. During this period, Nagaraj fell in love with another dubbing dubbing artist, Sarvamangala. The two married and have a daughter together.
Nagaraj went on to appear in comedic roles on films such as ''
Mutthu Ondu Mutthu
''Mutthu Ondu Mutthu'' () is a 1979 Indian Kannada film, directed by R. N. Jayagopal and is based on the novel ''Hoobaana'', written by M. K. Indira. The film stars Anant Nag, Roopa Chakravarthy, Sundar Krishna Urs and Vasudeva Rao in the lead r ...
'' (1979), ''
Anupama'' (1981), ''Chellida Rakta'' (1982), ''Thayiya Nudi'' (1983), ''
Khaidi'' (1984), ''
Maneye Manthralaya'' (1986), ''Thaliya Aane'' (1987), ''Namma Oora Devathe'' (1987), ''
Olavina Aasare'' (1988) and ''Bombat Raja Bandal Rani'' (1994). In 1985, he founded a theatre group, the Dingri Nagaraj Nataka Mandali.
In an interview with ''
Deccan Herald
''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by businessman K. N. Guruswamy and launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Printers Mysore, a privately hel ...
'' in 2020, Nagaraj recalled, "I was lucky to portray varied characters, from a constable to a beggar. I never prepared for any character, it was always spontaneous." He cited
Narasimharaju and N. S. Rao as his influences.
After Sarvamangala's death in the late-1980s, Nagaraj married Mala. They have one son, Rajvardhan, who is also an actor.
Selected filmography
Some notable films Nagaraj has appeared in include:
Films
* ''
Parasangada Gendethimma
''Parasangada Gendethimma'' ( ) is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language drama film directed by Maruthi Shivram, based on a novel of the same by Srikrishna Alanahalli. It stars Lokesh in the lead role and the supporting cast features Reeta Anchan, B. R. ...
'' (1978)
* ''
Mutthu Ondu Mutthu
''Mutthu Ondu Mutthu'' () is a 1979 Indian Kannada film, directed by R. N. Jayagopal and is based on the novel ''Hoobaana'', written by M. K. Indira. The film stars Anant Nag, Roopa Chakravarthy, Sundar Krishna Urs and Vasudeva Rao in the lead r ...
'' (1979)
* ''
Anupama'' (1981)...Dingri
* ''
Prachanda Putanigalu'' (1981)
* ''Chellida Rakta'' (1982)
* ''
Baadada Hoo
''Baadada Hoo'' () is a 1982 Kannada-language film directed by K. V. Jayaram and produced by K. S. Narayan. The story is based on the novel of the same name written by Saisuthe. The film stars Anant Nag, Padmapriya and K. S. Ashwath.
The film ...
'' (1982)...Mylari
* ''Thayiya Nudi'' (1983)
* ''
Avala Neralu
''Avala Neralu'' ( ) is a 1983 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by A. T. Raghu and produced by Magehalli Ranganath. The film stars Ambareesh, Ambika, Vajramuni and Dinesh. The film has musical score by Joy.
Cast
*Ambareesh as Raja
* ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Khaidi'' (1984)
* ''
Shiva Kotta Sowbhagya
''Shiva Kotta Sowbhagya'' is a 1985 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy and produced by V. Vargheese. The film stars Lokesh, Aarathi, Jayanthi and Rajanand.
Cast
*Lokesh
*Aarathi
*Jayanthi
*Rajanand
*B. K. Shankar
*Di ...
'' (1985)
* ''
Maneye Manthralaya'' (1986)
* ''Thaliya Aane'' (1987)
* ''Namma Oora Devathe'' (1987)
* ''
Huli Hebbuli'' (1987)
* ''
Olavina Aasare'' (1988)
* ''Narasimha'' (1989)''...Golur Gundappa
* ''
Parashuram
Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Chapala Chennigaraya
''Chapala Chennigaraya'' is a 1990 Indian Kannada-language comedy drama film, directed by H. R. Bhargava, and produced by M. Rajagopal and Suresh Kumar. The film stars Kashinath, Kalpana, Vanitha Vasu and Sundar Krishna Urs. It has musical ...
'' (1990)...Peon
* ''Tiger Gangu'' (1990)
* ''
Jagadeka Veera'' (1991)
* ''
Bombat Hendthi
''Bombat Hendthi'' is a 1992 Indian Kannada-language comedy drama film directed by P. N. Ramachandra Rao and produced by R. Sriramulu. The movie was a remake of Rao's own Telugu film '' Chitram Bhalare Vichitram'' (1991) which itself was based ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Mallige Hoove'' (1992)
* ''
Solillada Saradara
''Solillada Saradara'' () is a 1992 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed and written by Om Sai Prakash and produced by K. Prabhakar. The film stars Ambareesh, Malashri
Malashree (born Sridurga Pandey) is an Indian actress ...
'' (1992)...Tippeshi
* ''
Ganesha Subramanya'' (1992)
* ''
Rajadhi Raja'' (1992)
* ''
Mane Devru'' (1993)
* ''Bombat Raja Bandal Rani'' (1994)
* ''Gold Medal'' (1994)...Nagaraja
* ''
Lockup Death'' (1994)...Jaagate
* ''
Gandhada Gudi Part 2
''Gandhada Gudi Part 2'' is a 1994 Indian Kannada-language adventure film directed by Vijay and produced by M. P. Shankar. A sequel to ''Gandhada Gudi'' (1973), the film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Tiger Prabhakar, Rajashree (actress), Rajeshwari an ...
'' (1994)
* ''
Ellaranthalla Nanna Ganda'' (1997)...Nagaraj
* ''Bhanda Alla Bahadur'' (1997)
* ''
Ninne Preethisuve
''Ninne Preethisuve'' () is a 2002 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Om Prakash Rao and produced by Oscar Films. The film features Ramesh Aravind, and Raasi in lead roles with Shiva Rajkumar in extended cameo. The film was ...
'' (2002)
* ''Naari Munidare Gandu Paraari'' (2004)
* ''Ajju'' (2004)
* ''Sagari'' (2004)
* ''
Neelakanta'' (2006)
* ''
Venkata in Sankata'' (2009)
* ''
Naariya Seere Kadda'' (2010)
* ''
Namitha I Love You'' (2011)
* ''Uyyale'' (2011)
* ''
Crazy Star'' (2014)
* ''Karodpathi'' (2014)
* ''CBI Sathya'' (2016)
* ''
Mukunda Murari
''Mukunda Murari'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada, Kannada-language devotional satire (film and television), satirical comedy drama film directed by Nanda Kishore. The film stars Upendra (actor), Upendra in an atheist role and Sudeepa playing the role ...
'' (2016)...priest
* ''Olave Mandara 2'' (2023)
* ''
Kaatera
''Kaatera'' is a 2023 Indian Kannada-language action drama film co-written and directed by Tharun Sudhir and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. The film is inspired by a real-life incident at a village in Karnataka in the 1970s. The film stars D ...
'' (2023)
* ''Rana Haddu'' (2024)
Television
* ''Gowripurada Gayyaligalu'' (2021)
* ''Sundari'' (2021–2022)
* ''Kadambari'' (2021)
* ''Avanu Matte Shravani'' (2023–present)
References
External links
*
{{authority control
1948 births
Living people
Male actors in Kannada cinema
Indian male film actors
Male actors from Karnataka
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors