Prashanth Neel is an Indian film director and screenwriter, who predominantly works in the Kannada film industry. He directed the film KGF: Chapter 1 in 2018, which became the highest-grossing Kannada film of all time.
Wiki/Biography
Prashant Neel was born on Wednesday 4th June 1980.age 41 years; by 2021) in Hassan, Karnataka. His zodiac sign is Gemini. He did his schooling at Baldwin Boys School, Bangalore and went to college at Seshadripuram College. After completing his bachelor’s degree in business management, he pursued an MBA, which he eventually dropped. He neither worked nor read anything for about six-seven years. According to a media house, Prashant knew that he wanted to enter films at the age of 17. Later, he did a professional course in filmmaking.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7
Weight (approx): 65 kg
Hair Color: black
Eye Colour: black
Prashant Neel (Left) with Prabhas
family
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Subhash Nilakantapuram. His mother’s name is Bharti Subhash. He has two siblings. His brother’s name is Pradeep Neelakanthapuram, and his sister’s name is Rekha Neelakanthapuram.
wife and children
Prashanth Neel married Likita Reddy on 5 May 2010.
Prashant Neel with his wife and son
The couple has 2 children. They welcomed their daughter Saryu Neel on 26 January 2014 and their son Reyansh Neel on 10 January 2017.
Prashant Neel with his daughter
career
After Prashant completed his filmmaking course, he wrote a screenplay, Aa Hudugi Neene. He wanted to cast his brother-in-law and actor, Srimurali; However, he changed his original idea and wrote Ugram, an action film for him instead. The film was released under his own production company, Inkfinit Pictures, and went on to become one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of 2014. In an interview, Prashant said that he had no expectations from his debut film. He said,
We never thought it would go beyond Morning Show. No one knew me then. So the journey with my first film was very important, but the destination was not that much.”
Later, Prashanth met producer Vijay Kiragandur to narrate a story, but Vijay asked him if he had any other Kachha projects. When asked, Prashant narrated the script of KGF: Chapter 1 to her and all went well for her. The film was released in 2018 and earned Rs. 250 crores at the box office. It also became a blockbuster in Hindi when the distributor of Baahubali, Anil Thadani decided to release it widely in Hindi. In an interview, Prashant said that he has written the script only as a writer and not as a director. He said,
When you think like a director, you become practical and start thinking about budget constraints. At the same time, one stops dreaming big.”
Prashant celebrates with the cast and crew of KGF
His third directorial venture, ‘KGF: Chapter 2’, was scheduled for a theatrical release on 16 July 2021, but was delayed due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The film is expected to release on 14 April 2022 in 5 different languages. With the release of his much-hyped film ‘KGF: Chapter 2’, Prashant talks about his upcoming projects, which include Salaar, NTR 30, and Bagheera (Writer). According to Prashant, his first duty on the sets was to inspire every actor. In an interview he said,
I don’t yell at them or get angry at them. For me the mood of the actors matters a lot. I want to see him happy on the sets.”
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Won Best Debut Director Award at 4th SIIMA for Ugram in 2015
- Won Best Director Award at 8th SIIMA for KGF: Chapter 1 in 2019
- Won Best Director Award at Zee Kannada Hemayya Kannadiga Awards for KGF: Chapter 1 in 2019
- Nominated for Best Director Award by the 62nd Filmfare Awards South for Ugram in 2015
- Nominated for Best Director Award by 66th Filmfare Awards South for KGF: Chapter 1 in 2019
Facts / Trivia
- Reportedly, Prashant’s father is from Neelkanthapura, which gives him the last name Neel.
- In an interview, he revealed his early association with films and said,
We watched many Hollywood movies on VHS tapes and discussed cinema with friends. That was the culture I grew up in.”
- According to Prashanth, his family had conservative thinking and they would ban him if they knew that he was ready for film production. In an interview he said,
Unless you are born into a film family, there is a bias against cinema as a profession. And being from a conservative family, my mother didn’t want me to adopt it. So I didn’t even tell my family about my plan, lest they discourage me. When I decided to take the plunge, he had only one thing to say: ‘If it doesn’t work, don’t be discouraged.’ Thankfully, it is so far. ,
- The story of KGF was ready before ‘Ugram’, which was his directorial debut.
- His upcoming project Salar, produced under Hombale Films, was rumored to be a continuation of the ‘KGF’ franchise or a remake of Ugram; However, Prashant rubbished all the rumors and said,
Every film that I make will have some shades of Ugram. That’s my style! But Salar is a fresh story. It is not a remake or adaptation of Ugram.”
- Looking at the trend in his films, he was asked in an interview what is it that attracts him towards violence in films. He replied,
We don’t have a culture of using world wars or such subjects as premises for our films. So, my reasoning is that the stronger the villain, the stronger his heroism that can be portrayed on screen. I try to create an environment where it features both of these. In our given scenario, I would not be able to achieve that level of villainy, nor would I be able to rise to that level of heroism. That’s why I try to make my world more violent.”
