Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai on March 26, 1965) is an acclaimed Indian actor, director, producer, and politician who works extensively across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam cinema. Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, he began his acting career in stage shows and television serials before making his cinematic debut in the Kannada film *Mithileya Seetheyaru* (1988). Following the advice of veteran director K. Balachander, he changed his surname to 'Raj' and transitioned into the Tamil and Telugu film industries in the mid-1990s. Raj achieved massive critical acclaim and won his first National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant portrayal of politician Tamizhselvan in Mani Ratnam's Tamil political drama *Iruvar* (1997). Over the late 1990s and 2000s, he established himself as one of the most versatile and sought-after character actors and antagonists in South Indian cinema. He delivered iconic villainous performances in blockbusters like the Telugu film *Antahpuram* (1998)—which earned him a National Film Award Special Jury Mention—alongside *Badri* (2000), the Tamil hit *Ghilli* (2004) where his role as Muthu Pandi became a cultural phenomenon, and the Telugu industry hit *Pokiri* (2006). He was equally celebrated for his emotionally resonant, layered roles as a strict patriarch in family dramas like *Bommarillu* (2006) and *Abhiyum Naanum* (2008). In 2008, he won the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actor for his deeply moving performance as a traditional silk weaver in Priyadarshan's Tamil drama *Kanchivaram*. Expanding his formidable screen presence into Bollywood, Raj gained widespread recognition across North India for playing the quintessential powerful antagonist. He delivered memorable performances in massive Hindi blockbusters such as Prabhu Deva's *Wanted* (2009), Rohit Shetty's *Singham* (2011), and *Dabangg 2* (2012). Concurrently, he stepped into film production, winning another National Film Award for producing the Kannada film *Puttakkana Highway* (2011). Throughout the 2010s, he remained a ubiquitous presence across all major film industries, balancing commercial tentpoles with critical successes like *O Kadhal Kanmani* (2015) and *Rangasthalam* (2018). Renowned for his phenomenal dialogue delivery, linguistic fluency across multiple languages, and intense screen presence, he is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation. Maintaining an incredibly prolific output in the modern era, Raj continues to be a staple in major pan-Indian productions. His prominent recent releases include Trivikram's *Guntur Kaaram*, Dhanush's *Raayan*, Koratala Siva's *Devara: Part 1*, Suriya's *Kanguva*, and Sukumar's *Pushpa 2: The Rule*. His expansive upcoming slate stretching through 2025 and 2026 features a diverse array of massive projects, including S. Shankar's *Game Changer*, *They Call Him OG*, *Daaku Maharaaj*, Dhanush's *Idli Kadai*, the romantic thriller *Dacoit: A Love Story*, and the Hindi thriller *Drishyam - The Conclusion*. With a monumental filmography and five National Film Awards to his name, Prakash Raj remains an enduring powerhouse of Indian cinema.
