SBS Khumancha at 08:51, 26 March 2026

2026-03-26T08:51:50Z

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{{Short description|Indian Director & screenwriter}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mahesh Rao
| image = Mahesh Rao.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1982}}
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]], India
| years_active = 2008 – present
| occupation = [[Film director]]<br />[[Screenwriter]]<br />Dialogue writer
| spouse = Kirthika M Rao (2012–present)
| children = Hasini M Rao Nainika M Rao
}}

'''Mahesh Rao''' (born 14 February 1982) is an Indian director, screenplay writer and lyricist who works in [[Kannada cinema|Kannada film]]s. He is known for the movies Dheemaku, [[Murali Meets Meera|Murali meets Meera]] (2011) [[Bhadra (2011 film)|Bhadra]] (2011) and [[Santhu Straight Forward]] (2016)<ref>{{cite web |title= MAHESH RAO TO DIRECT YASH |url= http://www.cineloka.co.in/latest-news/mahesh-rao-to-direct-yash.html |publisher= cineloka.co.in |date= 27 May 2015 |access-date= 6 February 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160207002700/http://www.cineloka.co.in/latest-news/mahesh-rao-to-direct-yash.html |archive-date= 7 February 2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Film career==
After his successful stint at television serials, Mahesh Rao made his debut through ''Dheemaku'' (2008), starring [[Naveen Krishna]] in the lead role. The movie got average reviews from critics and was an average grosser at box office. In 2009 he collaborated with ''[[Milana (film)|Milana]]'' fame director [[Prakash (film director)|Prakash]] for the screenplay of ''[[Gokula (film)|Gokula]]''. His second film, ''[[Murali Meets Meera]]'', a romantic film based on a novel, was released in 2011, with [[Prajwal Devaraj|Prajwal Devraj]] in the lead role. ''Murali Meets Meera'' too earned positive response from critics, with ''The Times of India'' and ''Bangalore Mirror'' rating it 4/5 and Sify rating it 3/5. The movie subsequently went on to become a sleeper hit after running for 50 days at the box office. Following the success of ''Murali Meets Meera'', Mahesh Rao's next was [[Bhadra (2011 film)|Bhadra]], a remake of the Telugu movie ''[[Ranam (2006 film)|Ranam]]'', and introduced [[Daisy Shah]] pairing with [[Prajwal Devaraj|Prajwal Devraj]]. He made some changes to the screenplay to suit the nativity of the Kannada audience and the movie went on to become a super hit running 75 days at the box office with overall critics rating it as 3/5 and praising his direction skills. In 2013, he was roped in to direct [[Case No. 18/9]], a remake of the Tamil hit ''[[Vazhakku Enn 18/9|Vazhakku enn 18/9]]''. After its release, the film received generally positive reviews from critics. The performances of Niranjan Shetty, [[Sindhu Lokanath]], Shwetha Pandit and [[Rangayana Raghu]], and the film's direction, screenplay and narration received praise from critics. ''[[Case No. 18/9]]'' was a profitable venture for the producers fetching 1.57 crores (US$230,000) only from satellite rights from [[Suvarna TV]]. Then he went on to direct ''[[Endendu Ninagagi]]'' which was a remake of ''[[Engaeyum Eppothum|Engeyum Eppothum]]'' and was a box office failure even after receiving positive reviews from critics. His next movie was ''[[Kwatle Satisha]]'' which was again a remake of ''[[Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom]]''. ''Kwatle Satisha'' received positive reviews from critics and was a profitable venture for the producer. His next stint was as dialogue writer for the [[Ganesh (actor)|Ganesh]] starrer movie [[Khushi Khushiyagi]] released in 2015. Initially there were speculations that he would direct a movie starring Yash for the remake of Tamil movie ''[[Vaalu]]'' but eventually the remake idea was scrapped. Mahesh Rao wrote his own script and it was finalised by producer K.Manju. This film got the final title ''[[Santhu Straight Forward]]'' and will go on floors February 2016 starring [[Yash (actor)|Yash]] and [[Radhika Pandit]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Mr & Mrs back to rock! |url= https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151124/entertainment-sandalwood/article/mr-mrs-back-rock |publisher= [[Deccan Chronicle]] |date= 25 Nov 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Yash and Radhika Pandit together again! |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Yash-and-Radhika-Pandit-together-again/articleshow/49843346.cms |newspaper= timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date= 19 Nov 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Radhika and Yash Back Again? |url= http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/Radhika-and-Yash-Back-Again/2015/10/05/article3062834.ece |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151122090211/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/Radhika-and-Yash-Back-Again/2015/10/05/article3062834.ece |url-status= dead |archive-date= 22 November 2015 |publisher= newindianexpress.com |date= 5 Oct 2015}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===As film director===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Notes
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Dheemaku]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2011
| ''[[Murali Meets Meera]]''
|
|-
| ''[[Bhadra (2011 film)|Bhadra]]''
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Case No. 18/9]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| ''[[Endendu Ninagagi]]''
|
|-
| ''[[Kwatle Satisha]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2016
| ''[[Yogesh (actor)|Prachanda]]''
|
|-
| ''[[Santhu Straight Forward]]''
|
|-
|}

===As writer===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Writer !! Notes
|-
| 2009
| ''[[Gokula (film)|Gokula]]''
|{{partial|Screenplay}}
|
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Vaare Vah]]''||{{partial|Dialogues}}
|
|-
|2017
|''[[Tarak (film)|Tarak]]'' ||{{partial|Screenplay}}
|
|-
|}

===Television shows===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Role
|-
| ''[[E Prashne(quiz show)|E Prashne]]'' [[E Prashne(quiz show)|(quiz show)]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Assistant Director]]
|-
| ''[[Godhuli]]''
|-
| ''[[Thulasi (TV series)|Thulasi]]''
|-
|-
| ''[[Yava Janmada Maithri]]''
|[[Episode Director]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Utsava]]''
|[[Television director|Director]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Chikkamma]]''
| rowspan="12" |[[Screenwriter]]
|-
| ''[[Lakumi]]''
|-
| [[Sose Tanda sowbhagya|''Sose Tanda Sowbhagya'']]
|-
| ''[[Putta Gowri Maduve]]''
|-
| [[Akka (TV series)|''Akka'']]
|-
| ''[[Mangala Gowri Maduve]]''
|-
| [[Geetha (TV series)|''Geetha'']]
|-
| ''[[Naagini 2]]''
|-
| [[Kamali (TV series)|''Kamali'']]
|-
| ''[[Amruthadhare]]''
|-
| ''[[Lakshmi Nivasa]]''
|-
| [[Annayya (TV series)|''Annayya'']]
|-
| ''[[Gettimelam]]'' (Tamil) || Screenwriter, director
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Mahesh}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kannada film directors]]
[[Category:Kannada screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian television directors]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Film directors from Bengaluru]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian screenwriters]]

Mahesh Rao - Revision history

SBS Khumancha at 08:51, 26 March 2026