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Prakash Raj Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth26 March 1965

Age60 Years

BirthplaceMysore State (present-day Karnataka), India

ProfessionActor, Film Director, Politician, Producer, and Television Presenter

NationalityIndian

SpousePony Verma

Prakash Raj Biography

Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai on 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, director, producer, television presenter and politician from Karnataka. Known for his多l

Early life and background

Prakash Raj was born Prakash Rai on 26 March 1965 in the Mysore State region of what is now Karnataka, India. Raised in a Kannadiga family, he attended St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School in Bengaluru and later enrolled at St. Joseph’s College of Commerce for pre-university studies. He began, but did not complete, a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the same college.

Career

Prakash Raj’s screen career started in regional television and expanded rapidly into films across multiple Indian languages. He began as a television actor in Kannada productions during the early 1990s and moved into acting roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and English-language productions. His early screen credits include appearances in Kannada TV and roles in films such as the English-language Tropical Heat (1993), the Tamil film Duet (1994), and the Telugu film Sankalpam (1995). Over the years he has taken on a wide range of parts — from supporting and character roles to antagonists and leads — and has worked in mainstream and art-house projects alike.

Beyond acting, Prakash Raj has produced and directed films. He produced the Tamil film Daya (2002) and the Kannada film Naanu Nanna Kanasu (2010), and he directed the Telugu film Gouravam (2013). In the 2020s he also took roles on streaming platforms, appearing in the Tamil anthology Paava Kadhaigal (2020) on Netflix and the Hindi web series Shootout at Alair (2020) on ZEE5.

Awards and recognition

Prakash Raj’s work has been recognized with national and regional honours. He has been the recipient of multiple National Film Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, and a Special Jury Award and Special Mention for earlier performances. State and industry awards across Tamil, Telugu and Kannada cinema — including Filmfare Awards South, Nandi Awards, Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and awards from South Indian and other film bodies — reflect his long-standing presence and range as a performer, from character and supporting parts to lead roles.

Political activity and public voice

Prakash Raj has been publicly active beyond cinema. He launched a social media movement called #justasking in 2017 and contested the 2019 Indian general election as an independent candidate from the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. During the same period he campaigned in support of other political figures and causes.

Public profile

Prakash Raj is known for his outspoken public persona as well as for the intensity he brings to screen roles. He has at times been the focus of controversy: his remarks on political and social matters have led to public criticism and legal complaints, and his statements in interviews and public forums have provoked debate. He has also faced industry disciplinary actions in the past, including bans from working in Telugu films that sources report occurred multiple times.

Personal life

Prakash Raj is an atheist and identifies with the Kannadiga community. He is married to Pony Verma. He is a non-vegetarian and has lived primarily in Bangalore, Karnataka, which is cited as his hometown.

Latest updates

In addition to his ongoing film work, Prakash Raj continued to appear on digital platforms in 2020 with a role in the Netflix Tamil anthology Paava Kadhaigal and a ZEE5 Hindi series Shootout at Alair. He has remained engaged in public debates and political activity since launching #justasking in 2017 and standing for election in 2019.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Prakash Raj, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Paava Kadhaigal

Web anthology (Tamil) — role: Janakiraman; streamed on Netflix

2020
Shootout at Alair

Web series (Hindi) — role: DSP Suryanarayana; streamed on ZEE5

2020
Gouravam

Telugu film — as director

2013
Naanu Nanna Kanasu

Kannada film — as producer

2010
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Career Highlights

  1. Multiple National Film Awards including Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor
  2. Award-winning performances across Tamil, Telugu and Kannada cinema
  3. Work as actor, director, producer and television presenter
  4. Contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru Central as an independent
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Prakash Raj born?

Prakash Raj was born on 26 March 1965.

What is Prakash Raj known for?

Prakash Raj is known for actor, Film Director, Politician, Producer, and Television Presenter.

Who is Prakash Raj married to?

Prakash Raj is publicly listed as married to Pony Verma.