Devaraj

Devaraj (born 21 September 1953)^[2] is an Indian actor and theatre actor who works in Indian film industry. He has largely featured in Kannada films performing various roles as a lead character, supporting character and villainous character.^[3] He has also featured in Telugu and Tamil films.

Having worked in over 200 feature films, Devaraj is popularly referred to as a "Dynamic Hero" in the Kannada film industry.^[4] Prior to acting in films, Devaraj performed in stage plays under the guidance of Shankar Nag and B. Jayashree. Devaraj has won several awards and accolades including the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal as the protagonist in the film Veerappan in 1991.^[5]

Early life

Devaraj was born on 21 September 1953 to Ramachandrappa and Krishnamma in Lingarajpuram, a locality in Bangalore, in the erstwhile Mysore State (now Karnataka). His father worked in ITC Factory, Welfare department. Devaraj lost his father when he was three months old to malaria. In 1976, due to his family's financial problems, Devaraj decided to work in a HMT Watch factory, in the case and dial department, where he worked for nine years. During this time, he was suggested to act in dramas by a senior colleague, Govindaraju.^[6] Consequently, Devaraj joined R.Nagesh's theatre group, before joining the B. Jayashree's group Spandana and later Shankar Nag's Sanket.^[4] Devaraj's film debut came in 1985, where he played a supporting role in Trishula. He continued to appear as a supporting actor, then acted in leading roles.

Career

Devaraj auditioned for Trishula with Avinash, both of whom were part of a same theatre troupe. They got through the auditions and the film was his debut as an actor. However, the film did not release.^[5][7] His first released film was 27 Mavalli Circle in 1986. After the success of 27 Mavalli Circle Devaraj acted in many more films mainly in supporting roles. His notable performances include: His First Hero Leading Role In Hatyakanda In 1989. Upnext Aaganthuka, Navabharatha, Indrajith among others.

After the year 2000, Devaraj switched over to character roles and debuted in Tamil and Telugu film industries. He worked in highly acclaimed films such as Malaikottai and Villu in Tamil and Yagnam, Sri in Telugu.^[8]

Personal life

In 1986, Devaraj married actress Chandralekha, whom he had met on the sets of his film Sikku.^[1] Following this, they appeared together in the 1992 film Kendada Male.^[7] After their marriage, Chandralekha quit acting. They have two sons, Prajwal and Pranam. Both sons are active in the Kannada film industry, with Prajwal having established himself as a lead actor.^[9]

Filmography

Kannada

Telugu

Tamil

Awards

• Nandi Award for Best Villain - Erra Mandaram^[16]
• 9th SIIMA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Yajamana

References

1. ^ Nina C George (November 2009). "Long-lasting love". Deccanherald. Archived 26 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
2. ^ Devaraj. "Weekend with Ramesh Season 2 - Episode 7 - January 16, 2016 - Full Episode". Zee Kannada. ozee.com. pp. 3:38. Archived 28 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
3. ^ "Karnataka's Most Popular 'Cop'!". Express India. Archived 23 October 1999 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
4. ^ "Friday Review Bangalore : Hero, villain, two in one". The Hindu. 23 June 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
5. ^ "Welcome to". Sify. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
6. ^ "Weekend with Ramesh Season 2 Episode 7 - 16 January, 2016". www.zee5.com. Zee Digital. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
7. ^ Devaraj (28 October 2014). Nam Kathe Nim Jyothe - Episode - 3 - 5.4.14. India: Zee Kannada. Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
8. ^ "Devaraj". IMDb.com. Archived 4 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
9. ^ Sharadhaa, A (7 October 2014). "Devraj Brothers Share Screen Space". Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
10. ^ "Jailer Jagannath (1993) Kannada movie: Cast & Crew". chiloka.com. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
11. ^ "Astra - Action lovers' delight". indiainfo.com. Archived 16 October 2002 at the Wayback Machine.
12. ^ "Review: Bhoomi". Sify. Archived from the original on 18 January 2005. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
13. ^ Sharadhaa, A. (2026-02-14). "Police Thriller Shesha 2016 locks release date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
14. ^ "Kaliyuga Abhimanyudu (1990) | V CINEMA - Movie, Review, Cast, Songs & Release Date". www.vcinema.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
15. ^ R, Shajini S (4 March 2018). "Mahesh Babu starrer 'Bharat Ane Nenu's' interval bang to be a major highlight". The Times of India. Archived 27 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
16. ^ "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)]. Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)

External links

• Devaraj at IMDb