{{Short description|Indian actor and director}} {{Infobox person | name = Cudavalli Chandrashekar | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date text|1955}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Kannada Supporting Actor Chandrashekhar Biography, News, Photos, Videos |url=https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/kannada/supporting-actor/chandrashekhar |website=nettv4u |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref> | birth_place = Bangalore, Mysore State, India | death_date = {{Death date and given age|2018|1|27|63|df=yes}} | death_place = Ottawa, Canada | other_names = Edakallu Chandrashekar<br/>Kudavalli Chandrashekar | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|film producer|director|visa officer}} | years_active = 1969–2018 | spouse = Sheela | children = 1 }}
'''Cudavalli Chandrashekar''' (1955 – 27 January 2018) was an Indian actor, film producer and director known for his work in Kannada cinema. He appeared in child roles in films such as ''Namma Makkalu'' (1969) before making appearances in adult roles. He is noted for his performance in Puttanna Kanagal's ''Edakallu Guddada Mele'' (1973).
In 1984, Chandrashekar moved to Canada with his wife where he worked as a visa officer. He returned to films in the early 2000s and directed an adaptation of M. K. Indira's novel ''Poorvapara'', which became the first Kannada film to be screened at the Toronto Film Festival. He appeared in a total of 40 films before his death in 2018.<ref name="dh1">{{cite news |title=Veteran actor Chandrashekhar, 63, dies of heart attack in Canada |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/656336/veteran-actor-chandrashekhar-63-dies.html |access-date=1 April 2026 |work=Deccan Herald |date=28 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref> In recognition of his contributions to Kannada cinema, he was awarded the Rajyotsava Award by the government of Karnataka in 2004.<ref name="kso">{{cite web |title=Special Recognition 2023 - Cudavalli Chandrashekar |url=https://www.kannadasanghaottawa.ca/blogs/kso-varshadha-kannadiga/special-recoginition-2023-cudavalli-chandradhekar |website=Kannada Sangha Ottawa |access-date=1 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250808084048/https://www.kannadasanghaottawa.ca/blogs/kso-varshadha-kannadiga/special-recoginition-2023-cudavalli-chandradhekar |archive-date=8 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Chandrashekar was introduced to filmmaker R. Nagendra Rao who was on the lookout for a child actor for his film ''Namma Makkalu'' (1969) by his teacher and actor B. S. Narayana Rao. Chandrashekar went on to make his debut with that film.<ref name="th1"/> He then appeared in B. V. Karanth and Girish Karnad's ''Vamsha Vriksha'' (1971) alongside his senior at National College, Vishnuvardhan.
Chandrashekar auditioned for the role of Ramachari for Puttanna Kanagal's ''Naagarahaavu'' (1972), a role which eventually went to Vishnuvardhan. However, Kanagal cast him in his next film, ''Edakallu Guddada Mele'' (1973), which proved to be a major break in Chandrashekar's career. He played a brash motorbike-riding Nanjunda, who is a fresh college graduate. He develops a relationship with Madhavi (played by Jayanthi), the wife of a retired army captain, and go would on to infuse enthusiasm in the life of te couple. His performance received critical praise. He would go on to work with Kanagal in ''Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage'' (1981) and ''Maanasa Sarovara'' (1982).<ref name="th1"/> He also appeared alongside Dr. Rajkumar in ''Raja Nanna Raja'' (1976).<ref name="dc1">{{cite news |title=Edakallu' Chandrashekar dies in Canada |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/280118/edakallu-chandrashekar-dies-in-canada.html |access-date=1 April 2026 |work=Deccan Chronicle |date=28 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1984, Chandrashekar left for Canada with his wife Sheela. He worked as a visa officer at the High Commission of India in Ottawa before making corporate films.<ref name="dc1"/> He returned to Kannada cinema in the early 2000s. In 2001, it was reported that he would make his debut as a director with ''Poorvapara'', an adaptation of a novel of the same name by M. K. Indira. The novel however, despite set in the 1960s, felt like a "...a strong family subject" to Chandrashekar who set his film in the 2000s. He stated that he had bought the rights from Indira for the adaptation before her death.<ref name="dh2001">{{cite web |last1=Srinivasa |first1=Srikanth |title=Back with a bang |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may20/ent3.htm |website=Deccan Herald |access-date=1 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011122042145/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may20/ent3.htm |archive-date=22 November 2001 |date=20 May 2001}}</ref> The film revolves around an elderly woman from Sringeri who moves to the US to live with her son, only to struggle with loneliness and a sense of displacement in her new surroundings. Chandrashekar received critical praise for his direction.<ref>{{cite web |title=A DELECTABLE FILM, Geetha, Naveen Excel |url=http://chitraloka.com/sections/how_is_it/poorvapara.html |website=Chitraloka |access-date=20 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040604230108/http://chitraloka.com/sections/how_is_it/poorvapara.html |archive-date=4 June 2004 |date=27 March 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It became the first Kannada film to be screened at the Toronto Film Festival.<ref name="dc1"/> Chandrashekar's second and last directorial was the 2016 social-drama ''Kempammana Court Case'', which dealt with the fight of a righteous lawyer for the lesser privileged.<ref name="th1"/> The film also featured his daughter, Tanya.<ref name="kso"/> Chandrashekar's final film acting roles came in ''Raju Kannada Medium'' (2018) and ''3 Gante 30 Dina 30 Second'' (2018).<ref name="dc1"/>
== Personal life == Chandrashekar was born and raised in Bangalore.<ref name="dc1"/> He completed schooling at the National High School, Basavanagudi, before pursuing a degree in National College, Bengaluru.<ref name="th1">{{cite web |last1=Khajane |first1=Muralidhara |title=Impassioned actor's exit |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/impassioned-actors-exit/article22619675.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824220640/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/impassioned-actors-exit/article22619675.ece |archive-date=24 August 2021 |website=The Hindu |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en-IN |date=1 February 2018}}</ref>
Chandrashekar was married to engineer and danseuse Sheela.<ref name="dh2001"/> The couple moved to Canada in 1984. They had one daughter together, Tanya. Chandrashekar died from cardiac arrest on 27 January 2018 in Ottawa, Canada, aged 63.<ref name="th2">{{cite news |last1=Bharadwaj |first1=Staff Reporter & K. V. Aditya |title=Kannada actor Chandrashekhar passes away in Canada |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/kannada-actor-chandrashekhar-passes-away-in-canada/article22533810.ece |access-date=1 April 2026 |work=The Hindu |date=27 January 2018 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
== Filmography == === As actor === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |+ |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! class="unsortable" scope="col" | Notes ! class="unsortable" scope="col" | {{ref heading}} |- | 1969 | ''Namma Makkalu'' | | | <ref name="th1"/> |- | 1970 | ''Samskara'' | | | <ref name="dh2">{{cite web |title=Top 10 movies of veteran Kannada actor Chandrashekhar |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/top-10-movies-of-veteran-kannada-actor-chandrashekhar-638568.html |website=Deccan Herald |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en |date=27 January 2018}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1" | 1971 | ''Vamsha Vriksha'' | Chinni | | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 1973 | ''Edakallu Guddada Mele'' | Nanjunda | | <ref name="th2"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 1974 | ''Sampathige Savaal'' | | Cameo | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | rowspan="1" |1975 | ''Hamsageethe'' | | | <ref name="dh1"/> |- | rowspan="5" | 1976 | ''Raja Nanna Raja'' | Murthy | | <ref name="dc1"/> |- | ''Parivarthane'' | | | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | ''Besuge'' | Balu | | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | ''Devara Duddu'' | Muddukrishna | | |- | ''Kanasu Nanasu'' | Sampath | Cameo | |- | rowspan="1" | 1977 | ''Sose Tanda Soubhagya'' | Shankar | | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | rowspan="2" | 1978 | ''Shankar Guru'' | Diwakar | | <ref name="dh2"/> |- | ''Muyyige Muyyi'' | Sagar | | |- | rowspan="1" | 1979 | ''Dharmasere'' | | | |- | 1980 | ''Vajrada Jalapatha'' | | | |- | rowspan="1" | 1981 | ''Guru Shishyaru'' | Singer | Cameo | |- | rowspan="1" | 1982 | ''Maanasa Sarovara'' | | Cameo | <ref name="th2"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 1983 | ''Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage'' | Palegar | | <ref name="th2"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 1984 | ''Benki Birugali'' | Chandrashekar | | |- | rowspan="1" | 2004 | ''Poorvapara'' | Narendra | Also director and producer | <ref name="dc1"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 2005 | ''Siddhu'' | | | |- | rowspan="1" | 2008 | ''Haage Summane'' | | | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Vijayasarathy |first1=R. G. |author1-link=R. G. Vijayasarathy |title=Haage Summane is enjoyable |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-haage-summane/20081226.htm |website=Rediff |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en |date=29 December 2008}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" | 2009 | ''Karanji'' | | | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Vijayasarathy |first1=R. G. |title=Karanji Movie Review |url=https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/6259/kannada/karanji/2181/review.htm |website=Nowrunning |access-date=1 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626113122/https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/6259/kannada/karanji/2181/review.htm |archive-date=26 June 2009 |language=en |date=13 June 2009}}</ref> |- | ''Jeeva'' | | | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Vijayasarathy |first1=R. G. |title=Review: Jeeva is tedious |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-kannada-review-jeeva/20091127.htm |website=Rediff |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en |date=27 November 2009}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1" | 2014 | ''Rose'' | | | |- | rowspan="1" | 2015 | ''Endendigu'' | | | |- | rowspan="4" | 2016 | ''Shivalinga'' | R. Chandrashekhar | | |- | ''Sri Sathyanarayana'' | | | |- | ''Asthitva'' | | | |- | ''Kempammana Court Case'' | | Also director | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Suresh |first1=Sunayana |title=Kempammana Court Case Movie Review {2.5/5}: Critic Review of Kempammana Court Case by Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movie-reviews/Kempammana-Court-Case/movie-review/53993266.cms |website=The Times of India |access-date=1 April 2026 |language=en |date=3 September 2016}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1" | 2017 | ''Chakravarthy'' | | | |- | rowspan="2" | 2018 | ''Raju Kannada Medium'' | | | <ref name="th2"/> |- | ''3 Gante 30 Dina 30 Second'' | | Posthumous release | <ref name="th2"/> |- | rowspan="1" | 2019 | ''Omme Nishyabda Omme Yuddha'' | Aravind | Posthumous release | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Sudhan |first1=G. S. Karthik |title=ಅರ್ಥವಾಗದ ತರ್ಕದೊಳಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ನಿಶ್ಯಬ್ಧ |url=https://udayavani.com/cinema/movie-review/everything-is-silent-into-a-logic-that-does-not-understand |website=Udayavani |access-date=2 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607154720/https://udayavani.com/cinema/movie-review/everything-is-silent-into-a-logic-that-does-not-understand |archive-date=7 June 2019 |language=kn |date=2 June 2019}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|12576337}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandrashekar, Cudavalli}} Category:1955 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Male actors in Kannada cinema Category:Kannada film directors Category:Kannada film producers Category:20th-century Indian male actors Category:21st-century Indian male actors Category:Male actors from Karnataka Category:Indian male television actors Category:Film producers from Karnataka Category:Film directors from Karnataka