{{short description|Indian film director and screenwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Hemanth M. Rao | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|09|04|df=yes}}<ref name="db">{{cite web|title=Read about Rakshit Shetty's books of dreams|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Read-about-Rakshit-Shettys-book-of-dreams/articleshow/46026641.cms|work=The Times of India|date=27 January 2015|access-date=4 February 2015}}</ref> | birth_place = Bangalore, Karnataka, India | death_date = | death_place = | othername = | yearsactive = | occupation = Filmmaker | spouse = | children = }} '''Hemanth M. Rao''' is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Kannada cinema. He rose to fame following the success of his directorial debut ''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'' (2016).<ref name="dc1"/>
==Career== After a brief stint in journalism, Rao ventured into the film industry in 2005.<ref name="dc1">{{cite web|last1=Yerasala|first1=Kyatha|title=Hemanth Rao and the masters of film verse|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/sandalwood/080616/hemanth-rao-and-the-masters-of-film-verse.html|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|access-date=1 February 2017|date=8 June 2016}}</ref> He began working as an assistant director to Girish Kasaravalli on ''Gulabi Talkies'' (2008). He then worked in a similar capacity with Jacob Varghese on ''Savari'' (2009) and ''Prithvi'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Waseem|first1=Mohammed|title=It's easy to direct intelligent actors|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Hemanth-M-Rao-on-Godhi-Banna/articleshow/52488429.cms|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=1 February 2017|date=24 January 2017}}</ref>
He made his directorial debut in 2016 with ''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'', a Kannada drama feature about a man searching for his missing father with Alzheimer’s, with a script that he co-wrote. that had Rakshit Shetty and Anant Nag playing the respective roles. The film, produced by Pushkar Films, was a box office success and received critical acclaim upon release.<ref name="dc1"/>
Under his banner Lost & Found Films, he co-produced ''Humble Politician Nograj''—a political satire comedy inspired by ''The Campaign''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/2017/apr/15/voices-of-reason-in-humble-politician-nograj-1593712.html|title=Voices of reason in humble politician Nograj|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> The film was produced by Pushkar Films and Paramvah Studios and was released in January 2018.
Rao’s next writing venture was ''Andhadhun'' (2018), which was also his first venture into Hindi cinema. He co-wrote the script with Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti (who was also the editor of the film), Arijit Biswas, and Yogesh Chandekarand. The film also garnered tremendous praise and popularity, while also quickly garnering a cult following. They all collectively won a Filmfare Award and National Film Award for their screenplay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/nominations-for-the-64th-vimal-filmfare-awards-2019_-32898.html|title=Nominations for the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019|website=filmfare.com}}</ref>
His second directorial was ''Kavaludaari'' (2019), which was also the maiden production venture of Puneeth Rajkumar under production house, PRK Productions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/2017/jun/14/rishi-as-police-officer-in-thrilling-kavalu-daari-1616752.html|title=Rishi as police officer in thrilling Kavalu Daari|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> ''Kavaludaari'' won Best Movie in "Kannada Cinema Competition" at 12th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2020<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://biffes.in/awards-asian-cinema.php|title=Awards :: Bengaluru International Film Festival - BIFFES|website=biffes.in|access-date=11 March 2020|archive-date=25 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125073608/https://biffes.in/awards-asian-cinema.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Rao continued to work in the thriller space with ''Maestro'', which released in 2021. His next directorial, ''Sapta Sagaradaache Ello'', is a romantic drama which he wrote a long time back. Owing to the expansive timeline of the screenplay, it was split into two parts: ''Side A'' and ''Side B''. ''Side A'' released on 1 September 2023 to critical acclaim from both the critics and audience, alike. ''Side B'' was released on 17 November 2023.
==Filmography== === As director and screenwriter === {| class="wikitable" |- !rowspan=2|Year !rowspan=2|Film | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |'''Credited as''' ! rowspan="2" |Note !rowspan=2|Ref. |- ! Director ! Writer |- |2016 |''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'' |{{yes}} |{{yes}} | |<ref name="dc1"/> |- | 2018 |''Andhadhun'' |{{no}} |{{yes}} | Hindi Film; National Film Award for Best Screenplay |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/sriram-raghavan-andhadhun-audience-reaction-5411378/|title=Sriram Raghavan is 'floored' with audience reaction to Andhadhun|date=21 October 2018}}</ref> |- | 2019 |''Kavaludaari'' |{{yes}} |{{yes}} | |<ref>{{cite news|title=Hemanth Rao's next titled as Kavalu Daari|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/hemanth-raos-next-titled-as-kavalu-daari/articleshow/59140206.cms|access-date=24 June 2017|work=The Times of India|date=14 June 2017}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" |2023 |''Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side A'' |{{yes}} |{{yes}} | | |- |''Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side B'' |{{yes}} |{{yes}} | | |- |2026 |{{pending film|666 Operation Dream Theater}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Filming | |- |TBA |{{pending film|Bhairavana Kone Paata}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Delayed | |- |}
=== As producer === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Notes ! Ref. |- |2016 |''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'' | Co-produced with Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah |<ref name="dc1"/> |- |2018 |''Humble Politician Nograj'' |Co-produced with Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah and Rakshit Shetty | |- |2020 |''Bheemasena Nalamaharaja'' |Released on Amazon Prime Video |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/bheema-sena-nala-maharaja-cooks-up-a-storm/articleshow/59899715.cms|title=Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja cooks up a storm|website=The Times of India}}</ref> |- |2025 |''Agnyathavasi'' |Co-produced with Prachura P. P. and Jayalakshmi |<ref>{{cite web |title=Kannada film 'Agnyathavasi', produced by Hemanth M Rao, set for OTT premiere |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/agnyathavasi-hemanth-m-rao-rangayana-raghu-charan-raj-ott-premiere-zee5/article69586572.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=17 May 2025}}</ref> |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class=wikitable ! Film ! Award ! Category ! Result ! Ref. |- |rowspan=6|''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'' |rowspan=2|64th Filmfare Awards South |Best Film- Kannada |{{nom}} |rowspan=2|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/winners-64th-jio-filmfare-awards-south/articleshow/59192157.cms|title=Winners: 64th Jio Filmfare Awards 2017 (South)|newspaper=Times of India|date=19 June 2017}}</ref> |- |Best Director- Kannada |{{nom}} |- |Raghavendra Chitravani Award 2017 |Best Screenplay |{{won}} |<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards for Thithi, Godhi Banna... directors|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/awards-for-thithi-godhi-banna-directors/articleshow/56438334.cms|work=The Times of India|access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref> |- |Gollapudi Srinivas Award 2017 |First Time Best Director |{{won}} |<ref>{{cite web|title=Kannada director Hemanth Rao wins 2017 Gollapudi Srinivas award|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/kannada-director-hemanth-rao-wins-2017-gollapudi-srinivas-award/article17473214.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=17 March 2017|date=16 March 2017}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|6th SIIMA Awards |Best Film |{{nom}} |rowspan=2|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/siima-2017-jr-ntr-bags-best-actor-kirik-party-wins-best-film-1021817-2017-07-01|title=SIIMA 2017 Day 1: Jr NTR bags Best Actor, Kirik Party wins Best Film|website=India Today|date=1 July 2017|access-date=19 January 2020}}</ref> |- | Best Debut Director |{{won}} |- |rowspan=4|''Andhadhun'' |66th National Film Awards |Best Adapted Screenplay ({{small|jointly}}) |{{won}} |<ref name="66thaward">{{cite press release|title=66th National Film Awards|url=https://dff.gov.in/images/News/66th_NFA_Results.pdf|publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals|access-date=11 August 2019|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |- |64th Filmfare Awards |Best Screenplay ({{small|jointly}}) |{{won}} |<ref name="2019 Awards">{{cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/nominations-for-the-64th-vimal-filmfare-awards-2019_-32898-1.html|title=Nominations for the 64th Vimal Filmfare Awards 2019|work=filmfare.com|date=12 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Winners of the 64th Vimal Filmfare Awards 2019|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/all-winners-of-the-64th-vimal-filmfare-awards-2019_-33004-3.html|date=23 March 2019|access-date=23 March 2019|work=Filmfare}}</ref> |- |24th Star Screen Awards |Best Screenplay ({{small|jointly}}) |{{won}} |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/star-screen-awards-2018-complete-winners-list-alia-bhatt-wins-best-actress-rajkummar-rao-and-ranveer-singh-are-best-actors/story-C9PF5a5ZeHzC77Dfp4UwAO.html |title=Star Screen Awards 2018 complete winners list |date=17 December 2018 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/winners-star-screen-awards-2018/ |title=Winners of Star Screen Awards 2018 |date=16 December 2018 |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref> |- |20th IIFA Awards |Best Screenplay ({{small|jointly}}) |{{won}} |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/iifa-2019-full-winners-list-alia-bhatt-s-raazi-wins-big-1600669-2019-09-19|title=IIFA 2019 full winners list: Alia Bhatt's Raazi wins big}}</ref> |- |rowspan=4|''Kavaludaari'' |12th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2020 |Best Film in Kannada Cinema |{{won}} |<ref name="auto"/> |- |rowspan=2|Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 |Best Director |{{nom}} |rowspan=2|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/critics-choice-film-awards-2020-complete-nominations-list-6295588/|title=Critics' Choice Film Awards 2020: Complete nominations list|date=11 March 2020|website=The Indian Express|access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref> |- |Best Writing |{{nom}} |- |9th SIIMA Awards |Best Director |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://siima.in/2019-nominations.php |title=The 9th South Indian International Movie Awards Nominations for 2019 |website=South Indian International Movie Awards |access-date=24 August 2021 |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828223640/https://siima.in/2019-nominations.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | ''Sapta Saagaradaache Ello'' | 69th Filmfare Awards South |Best Director |{{won}} |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/nominations-for-filmfare-awards-kannada-2024-are-out-67265.amp |title=Nominations for the 69th Filmfare Awards (Kannada) 2024 |website=Filmfare |date=16 July 2024 |access-date=17 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/full-list-of-winners-of-69th-sobha-filmfare-awards-south-kannada-2024_-67630.html|title=Full list of Winners of the 69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South (Kannada) 2024 |work=Filmfare |date=3 August 2024 |access-date=4 August 2024}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|9634132}}
{{National Film Award Best Screenplay}} {{Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay}} {{Filmfare Award for Best Director - Kannada}}
{{Hemanth M Rao}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Hemanth M}} Category:Living people Category:Kannada film directors Category:Kannada screenwriters Category:Film directors from Bengaluru Category:Screenwriters from Bengaluru Category:Filmfare Awards South winners Category:Best Adapted Screenplay National Film Award winners Category:21st-century Indian people Category:1983 births