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Sunil Raoh
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Sunil Rao (born 4 September 1978) is a Kannada cinema actor from India. He is also a playback singer who has performed for few Kannada film songs. He has acted in numerous films as a child artist and also featured in a few television series.[1]
Key Information
Personal life and family
[edit]Sunil Rao comes from a family of well-known musicians. His mother B. K. Sumitra, is a prominent Sugama Sangeetha (light music) singer. His sister Sowmya Rao is also an established playback singer who has performed for various films in different languages.[1] He was also interested in playback-singing and entered the film industry aspiring to be one. But he had to change his path towards acting since offers came pouring ever since he was a child. He studied in Bangalore's National College.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]As a child artist
[edit]Rao started his career as a child artiste in the year 1987 for the films such as Kendada Male and Elu Suttina Kote. [citation needed]He performed his roles much to the attention of producers and went on acting in a few more films.[citation needed]
Television artist
[edit]Rao, aspiring to be a playback singer, re-entered acting in his teens. He appeared in a few soap operas that included Janani, Chaduranga, Punarjanma, B. Suresha's Sadhane and T. N. Seetharam's Manvantara and Bhageerathi. In Janani, he was cast as the grandson of Bharathi Vishnuvardhan's character.[2]
Films
[edit]Sunil Rao began his film career acting in some non-significant character roles in the films such as Chitra and Panchaalee. However, he shot to fame in the 2003 released Hinglish film Freaky Chakra. He starred alongside Deepti Naval as a young boy infatuated by an older woman. He also starred as a teenage lover in the Kavita Lankesh directorial Preethi Prema Pranaya opposite Anu Prabhakar, the same year. Then came his most successful Kannada film Excuse Me (2003) where he played an anti-hero character alongside Ajay Rao and Ramya.
In 2005, he starred in a series of unsuccessful films like Chappale, Masala and Sakha Sakhi. The latter was a remake of the Tamil hit Thiruda Thirudi. Most of his films during this time featured him alongside other male lead characters. Sakha Sakhi was an exception to this. In 2006, he starred in the critically acclaimed Belli Betta directed by Shivaraj Hoskere.[3]
Following these ventures, Rao became choosy and featured in very few films in the late 2000s. Minugu opposite Pooja Gandhi was his solo release in the year 2010. Noted film maker Sunil Kumar Desai announced a film called Sarigama in 2008 with Rao and Prajwal Devaraj in the lead. This film, expected to have a 2012 release got shelved for unknown reasons.[4]
Reports of him coming back to acting after a hiatus made news with his longtime associate director announcing his project called Bangalore Calling. It reported that Sunil would play one of the three main lead roles.[5]
Filmography
[edit]| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Kendada Male | As child artist | |
| 1988 | Elu Suttina Kote | Ganesha | As child artist |
| 1991 | Readymade Ganda | As child artist | |
| Shanti Kranti | As child artist | ||
| 1992 | Prana Snehitha | As child artist | |
| Mysore Jaana | Anand | As child artist | |
| 1994 | Gandugali | As child artist | |
| 1998 | Shanti Shanti Shanti | Band member | Uncredited role |
| 2001 | Vande Matharam | Abhishek | |
| Chitra | Ramu's friend | ||
| 2003 | Panchaali | ||
| Freaky Chakra | Unannounced Guest | Hindi film | |
| Excuse Me | Sunil | ||
| Preethi Prema Pranaya | Vivek | ||
| 2004 | Baa Baaro Rasika | Vishwa | |
| Chappale | Vijay | ||
| 2005 | Masala | Vishwa | |
| Sakha Sakhi | Siva | ||
| 2006 | Belli Betta | Shiva | |
| Jackpot | Himself | Guest appearance; also playback singer | |
| 2010 | Minugu | Aditya | |
| Premism | Prasanna | Guest appearance | |
| 2022 | Old Monk | Krishna | Guest appearance |
| Thurthu Nirgamana | Vikram | also playback singer | |
| 2024 | Maryade Prashne | Satisha | [6] |
Web series
[edit]| Year of release | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Loose Connection | First Kannada webseries |
- As playback singer
Awards
[edit]He has been awarded the 'Roopakala Belli Kanmani Award' as a 'Naada shreshta Kalavida' by the 'Roopakala Utsava-25' linked with the Karnataka State in the year 2011.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Entertainment Bangalore : Small and spicy". The Hindu. 9 September 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ Srinivasa, Srikanth (9 February 2003). "Two guys & a goal". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 29 December 2003. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "Sunil Raos back – Bollywood Movie News". Indiaglitz.com. 10 December 2005. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Kannada Movie/Cinema News – SUNIL KUMAR DESAI IS BACK WITH 'SARIGAMA'". Chitratara.com. 9 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Sunil Rao to act again?". Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
- ^ "A middle class story - Bangalore Mirror". bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com. 27 June 2024.
- ^ "Sunil Raoh records a song in his upcoming film | Kannada Movie News - Times of India". www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
External links
[edit]Sunil Raoh
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Family background
Sunil Raoh was born on 4 September 1980 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, as the son of B. K. Sumitra, a renowned Sugama Sangeetha singer known for her contributions to Kannada light music and playback singing.[1] His father, M. L. Sudhakar, a singer who supported the family's artistic pursuits, was also involved in music.[2][6] Raoh has one sibling, his sister B. K. Sowmya Raoh, who is an established playback singer in the Kannada and Hindi film industries, further embedding the family within the Kannada entertainment and music scene.[6][7] The siblings grew up in a musical household where B. K. Sumitra's career as a veteran performer influenced their early interests in the arts.[7] From a young age, Raoh received early exposure to performing arts through accompanying his mother to concerts and family-involved musical events across Karnataka and beyond, fostering his initial connection to Bangalore's vibrant cultural landscape.[2] This environment, centered in Bangalore's local cultural gatherings, highlighted the family's strong ties to Kannada musical traditions.[7]Schooling and early influences
Sunil Raoh completed his schooling at National High School in Basavanagudi, Bangalore.[2] He later attended National College in Jayanagar, Bangalore, for higher education.[2] From a young age, Raoh's interest in music was shaped by his family's musical heritage; he accompanied his mother, the acclaimed singer B. K. Sumitra, on concert tours starting at age two and joined her on stage for his first public performance as a singer at age four.[2]Career
Debut as child artist
Sunil Raoh entered the Kannada film industry as a child artist in 1987 at the age of seven, debuting in the film Kendada Male. In Kendada Male, a socially charged action drama depicting the exploitation of poor villagers by corrupt politicians, he portrayed a young character contributing to the family-oriented narrative. He followed this with a role in Elu Suttina Kote (1988), a psychological drama inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and centered on themes of crime and morality, where Raoh played a supporting child role that added emotional depth to the story. These initial appearances marked his entry into Sandalwood, where he took on roles highlighting innocence and vulnerability in dramatic contexts.[2][8][9][10] Raoh continued with child roles in approximately five films through the early 1990s, often embodying innocent siblings or adventurous young protagonists in family dramas and comedies. Notable examples include Readymade Ganda (1991), a romantic comedy where he appeared as a child artist, and Shanti Kranti (1991), an action-crime film addressing organ trafficking, in which he contributed to the ensemble cast as a young character. In 1992's Mysore Jana, a comedy-drama about an orphaned boy seeking justice for his parents' murder, Raoh played the role of young Anand, showcasing a resilient child navigating hardship. These performances helped establish his early presence in Kannada cinema, with roles that emphasized natural emotional expression amid familial and adventurous themes.[8][11] Balancing his burgeoning acting career with formal education presented challenges for Raoh, who continued performing until completing high school around 1994 while managing school commitments alongside film shoots. This period built his initial recognition in the Sandalwood industry, as his child roles led to subsequent opportunities and familiarized him with on-set dynamics from a young age.[9] Following his last child role in 1994, Raoh took a seven-year hiatus from acting between 1994 and 2001 to prioritize education and personal development, resuming his career during college with television work.[9]Television and early adult roles
Sunil Raoh began his television career in the mid-1990s with supporting roles in Kannada soap operas aired on Doordarshan, where he portrayed family members in family dramas during his high school years.[2] In the serial Janani, he played the grandson of Bharathi Vishnuvardhan's character, contributing to the show's focus on intergenerational family dynamics.[2] He also appeared in Chaduranga and Punarjanma, both broadcast on Doordarshan, which helped him establish an initial presence in the small-screen industry.[2] By the early 2000s, Raoh transitioned to more mature supporting roles as young professionals and family figures in serialized narratives on both Doordarshan and emerging private channels. In Manvantara, directed by T. N. Seetharam and aired in 2001, he took on a significant supporting part that marked his entry into adult characters, exploring themes of personal growth and societal pressures in a middle-class setting.[12] Similarly, in Saadhane by B. Suresha and Chaduranga, he essayed roles that highlighted emotional depth within family-oriented storylines, often involving conflicts and resolutions in everyday Kannada households.[13] These television appearances significantly boosted Raoh's visibility across Karnataka, fostering a dedicated fanbase through relatable portrayals that resonated with regional audiences during the shift from public broadcasting to private channels.[13] His work in these soaps, particularly the narrative arcs in Manvantara that delved into character evolution amid familial tensions, showcased his ability to handle emotional genres and built a bridge from his child acting days to opportunities in feature films.[2] Fan interactions grew through letters and public recognition in the state, solidifying his reputation as a versatile television performer before his cinematic breakthrough.[13]Film acting breakthrough
Sunil Raoh returned to Kannada cinema as an adult actor in 2001 with the action-drama Vande Mataram, where he portrayed Abhishek, the brother of the lead character played by Vijayashanti, marking his transition from child roles to supporting parts in ensemble casts.[14] This appearance laid the groundwork for his growing presence in the industry, though it was his subsequent ventures that solidified his reputation. Raoh achieved his breakthrough in 2003 with two pivotal films that showcased his versatility in comedic and dramatic roles. In the Hinglish comedy-drama Freaky Chakra, directed by V.K. Prakash, he played a young man infatuated with an older woman portrayed by Deepti Naval, earning acclaim as a newcomer for his nuanced performance in a narrative exploring unconventional relationships.[15] That same year, in the Kannada romantic drama Excuse Me, directed by Prem, Raoh took on the lead role of Sunil, an anti-hero who impersonates his friend Ajay (Ajay Rao) to pursue Madhu (Ramya), blending humor and emotional depth in a story of mistaken identities and young love.[16][17] These films highlighted his natural comic timing and relatability, establishing him as a promising talent in supporting and lead capacities. Throughout the mid-2000s, Raoh continued with supporting roles in films like Jackpot (2006), a romantic-drama directed by Niranjan where he contributed to the ensemble of carefree friends navigating life's twists, collaborating with co-stars such as Sudeep and Shubha Poonja.[18] By the early 2010s, after a four-year hiatus from 2006 to 2010, he returned with lead roles in content-driven narratives, exemplified by Minugu (2010), directed by Anthony Jayavanth, where he starred as Aditya, a free-spirited college student obsessed with aspiring actress Sanchita (Pooja Gandhi), delivering a heartfelt portrayal of unrequited love and personal growth.[19][20] After a hiatus, Raoh's 2020s work reflects a deliberate pivot to meaningful, socially relevant cinema, as he noted in interviews emphasizing quality over quantity, including his lead role in Thurthu Nirgamana (2022). In the 2024 social drama Maryade Prashne, directed by Nagaraj Somayaji, he played Sathish, one of three middle-class friends from Bengaluru's Chamrajpete grappling with tragedy, ambition, and class divides, earning praise for his authentic depiction of an everyman facing urban struggles alongside co-stars Rakesh Adiga and Poornachandra Mysore. As of November 2025, he is set to appear in the upcoming Hayagrriva.[3][21][22][23] His collaborations with directors like Prem and Somayaji, coupled with consistent critical recognition for his grounded acting style in social dramas, underscore his evolution into a reliable performer in Kannada cinema's more introspective phase.[9]Playback singing contributions
Sunil Raoh debuted as a playback singer in the Kannada film Chukki Chandrama (1993), providing vocals for the track "Suvvisuvvale – Bit". He later contributed to Jackpot (2006), where he provided vocals for the track "Baa O Preethi Baa," composed by R.P. Patnaik. This marked an additional credit alongside his acting role in the same film.[8][24][11] His singing style draws heavily from his family's musical legacy, particularly the influence of his mother, B.K. Sumitra, a renowned Sugama Sangeetha (light music) performer whose melodic approach to Kannada compositions shaped his focus on emotive, folk-infused renditions. Raoh has contributed vocals to approximately 5-10 songs across Kannada cinema, often collaborating with prominent composers to blend traditional elements with contemporary sounds. Notable examples include "Bottom Of My Heart" from Tiger (2017), a duet with Priyanka under Arjun Janya's composition, which highlighted his versatile range in romantic tracks, and "Joru Joraagi" from Thurthu Nirgamana (2022), where he paired with Varijashree Venugopal for a lively folk-inspired number composed by Dossmode. These instances, like his debut, frequently aligned with his on-screen appearances, allowing his vocal performances to deepen character portrayals and add authenticity to the narratives.[25][26][27][28][1] Raoh's playback work has garnered appreciation for its emotional depth and sincerity, with industry observers noting how his familial training infuses songs with heartfelt expression that resonates in Kannada folk and melody-driven genres. While his contributions remain primarily within films, they underscore his role as a multifaceted artist bridging acting and music in Sandalwood.[26]Filmography and notable works
Feature films
Sunil Raoh's feature film appearances span from child artist roles in the late 1980s to supporting and lead parts in adult-oriented Kannada cinema, with occasional contributions as a playback singer.Child roles
Raoh began his film career as a child artist, appearing in several Kannada films during the late 1980s and early 1990s.- Kendada Male (1987) as young protagonist.[8]
- Elu Suttina Kote (1988) as supporting child character.[11]
- Kalabhimani (1989) as supporting child.[11]
- Swarna Samsara (1990) as supporting child.[11]
- Anatha Rakshaka (1991) as supporting child.[11]
- Kadana (1991) as supporting child.[11]
- Ramaachari (1991) as supporting child.[11]
- Readymade Ganda (1991) as supporting child.[11]
- Mysore Jaana (1992) as supporting child.[11]
- Prana Snehitha (1993) as supporting child.[11]
- Gandugali (1994) as supporting child.[11]
Adult supporting roles
In his adult career, Raoh frequently took on supporting roles in romantic dramas and comedies, often portraying friends or secondary characters.- Chithra (2001) as Ramu's friend.[2]
- Vande Mataram (2001) as supporting actor.[29]
- Panchali (2003) as supporting character.[29]
- Freaky Chakra (2003) as unannounced guest.[2]
- Excuse Me (2003) as Sunil (anti-hero).
- Chappale (2004) as supporting actor.[29]
- Sakha Sakhi (2005) as Siva.[29]
- Masala (2005) as supporting actor.[11]
- Belli Betta (2006) as Shiva.[30]
- Jackpot (2006) as himself (dual role: actor and playback singer for "Jackpot Theme").[29]
- Taj Mahal (2008) as supporting actor.[31]
- Minugu (2010) as Aditya (supporting).[11]
- Premism (2010) as supporting actor.[11]
- Tiger (2017) as playback singer for select tracks.[2]
- Old Monk (2022) as supporting actor.[31]
Lead roles
Raoh has occasionally essayed lead roles, showcasing romantic and dramatic leads in select films.- Preethi Prema Pranaya (2003) as Vivek (teenage lover).[2]
- Baa Baro Rasika (2004) as Vishwa.
- Thurthu Nirgamana (2022) as Vikram.[32]
- Maryade Prashne (2024) as Sathish.[22]
- Hayagrriva (upcoming) as TBA.[33]