Prajwal Devaraj (born 4 July 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Kannada cinema. The son of veteran actor Devaraj, Prajwal made his debut with the Kannada film Sixer (2007) for which he won the Best Debut actor award at the Suvarna Film Awards. This was followed by the gangster drama Geleya (2007) which was a box-office success. Prajwal was in recent films like Chowka (2017), Gentleman (2020) and Inspector Vikram(2021) Karavali(2026).
His films include Meravanige (2008), Gulama (2009), Murali Meets Meera (2011), Super Shastri (2013) and Galaate (2013). For his performance in Gentleman (2020), he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor.
Early life
Prajwal Devaraj was born on 4 July 1987 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, to actor Devaraj and Chandralekha, a former actress and producer. He has a younger brother, Pranam, who acted in Kumari 21F (2018). Prajwal completed his schooling at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School, Bengaluru, and graduated with a degree in Management from Jain University’s Center for Management Studies. Before entering films, he trained in dance and participated in cultural programs.
Career 2007–2010: Debut and Early Success
Prajwal made his debut as a lead actor in Sixer (2007), playing Rahul, a young underworld don. Directed by Shashank, the film earned him the Suvarna Film Award for Best Debut Actor. The same year, he starred in Geleya, a gangster drama directed by A. Harsha. He continued his success with romantic dramas like Meravanige (2008) and Gange Baare Thunge Baare (2008).
2011–2016: Establishing as a Leading Actor Prajwal appeared in films such as Murali Meets Meera (2011), a romantic drama, and Super Shastri (2012),. Other notable releases include Galaate (2013), Angaaraka (2014), and Neenade Naa (2014), his first home production. In Bhujanga (2016), his 25th film, Prajwal played a mass hero role, marking a shift toward action-oriented characters.
2017–2021: Critical Acclaim
Prajwal’s performance in Chowka (2017), a multi-starrer directed by Tharun Sudhir, was widely appreciated. His career-defining role came in Gentleman (2020), directed by Jadesh Kumar Hampe, where he portrayed Bharath, a man with narcolepsy. The film earned him the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and the SIIMA Critics Award for Best Actor – Kannada.
2022–Present: Latest projects Recent works include Abbara (2022), Veeram (2023), and Tatsama Tadbhava (2023), where he played intense roles in thrillers and action dramas. Upcoming projects include Gana, Rakshasa, and Mafia.
Personal life Prajwal married Ragini Chandran, a dancer and actress, on 25 October 2015 after a decade-long relationship. Ragini has appeared in Kannada films and is known for her Kathak performances.
Filmography
Year Title Role(s) Notes 2007Sixer Rahul WonSuvarna Best Debut ActorGeleya Guru 2008Gange Baare Thunge Baare Harsha Meravanige Vijay 2009Jeeva Jeeva Gulama Anil Kencha Rahul 2010 Nannavanu Bharadwaj 2011Kote Vignesh Murali Meets Meera Murali Mr. Duplicate Nandu Bhadra Bhadra 2012Sagar Sagar Gokula Krishna Krishna Super Shastri Subramanya Shastri 2013Galaate Abhi Ziddi Krishna 2014Angaaraka Viji Savaal Arjun Jamboo Savari BaluNeenade Naa Dev First home production film 2015Mrugashira Prajwal Arjuna Arjun 2016Madha Mathu Manasi Mass Madha BhujangaBhujanga25th film 2017 Chowka Mohammed Anwar 2018Life Jothe Ondh SelfieViratAnanthu vs NusrathDr. Nisar AhmedCameo appearance2019YajamanaHimselfCameo appearance in the "Shivanandi" songYada Yada Hi DharmasyaJeevaCameo appearance2020Gentleman Bharath WonSIIMA Award Best Actor Critics – KannadaWonKarnataka State Film Award for Best Actor2021Inspector VikramVikramArjun GowdaArjun Gowda2022Abbara Shiva2023 Veeram Veeru Tatsama Tadbhava Aravind Ashwatthama 2025Gana GanaRakshasa Satya2026KaravaliDhananjay Dr. Sathyanarayan Filming
Television +YearShowRoleNotes2021Dance DanceJudge
Awards and nominations Year Category Award Film Result 2008Best Debut Male ActorSuvarna Film AwardsSixer 2020Best ActorKarnataka State Film Awards Gentleman Best Actor (Critics) South Indian International Movie Awards Best ActorBest Actor – KannadaFilmfare Awards South
References
External links
Prajwal Biography