Srinivasa Prabhu

Srinivasa Prabhu, known for his extraordinary acting abilities and his resonating voice, is a veteran figure in the art field of Karnataka who needs no introduction. A familiar face on the television as well as on the big screen, he began his career in theater and is one of the pioneers of Kannada theater.
First rank holder in his MA Kannada Literature studies, he went on to study theatre at the National school of drama, New Delhi from 1977-1980.
After returning to Bangalore, he wrote and directed several plays including ‘Sikku’, ‘Udbhava’, ‘Beli Mattu Hola’, ‘Belli Gundu’, ‘Parameshi Prema Prasanga’, which gained critical responses, positioning him as a young master of his craft. His roles in ‘Hamlet’, ‘Rajabete’,‘ Iti Ninna Amrita’, ‘Gulle Nari’ are still remembered as landmark performances that helped in the shaping of Kannada theatre.
He has worked as the program director in Doordarshan Kendra for 14 years, during which he produced and directed various programmes relating to Art and Culture.
His contribution as an actor and director to the small screen is extensive. His most remembered lead roles were seen in  ‘Janani’, ‘Mukta’, ‘Mahaparva’, ‘Bangari’, ‘Sharapanjara’, ‘Guptagamini’, ‘Naakutanti’.
His directorial ventures different regional channels include the much loved ‘Detective Dhanush’, ‘Aasare’, ‘Sanjemallige’, ‘Khedda’, ‘Antaragange’, and a telefilm on post-colonial impact ‘Tamra Patra’.
His venture into the big screen began with roles in films like ‘Accident’ and ‘Adi Shankaracharya’, and has continued with roles in the critically acclaimed ‘Kanooru Haggadathi’, ‘Rashtrageethe’, ‘Chaitrada Chiguru’, ‘Mussanje’, and the more recent ‘Smile Please’ and ‘Melkote Manja’.
 Having also lent voice for the actor Ravichandran, his voice and his hold on the Kannada language are recognized, lauded, and respected across Karnataka and beyond. This has led him to other interesting projects which include scripting and narrating major events like Maha-Mastakaabhisheka at Shravanabelagola, Laksha Deepotsava at Dharmasthala, Navaratri Utsava at Sringeri, etc.
He has been honored with the Aryabhata award, Karnataka Nataka Academy award, Priyadarshini Indira award, etc.