Acting
Sep 1, 1973
Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Kichcha Sudeepa
Acting
Biography
**Sudeep Sanjeev** (born 2 September 1973), universally and affectionately known as **Kiccha Sudeep** or **Sudeepa**, is a highly acclaimed Indian actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, television presenter, and playback singer who predominantly works in Kannada cinema. With a massive pan-Indian appeal and a prolific career spanning over two decades, he has established himself as one of the most prominent, versatile, and highest-paid superstars in the South Indian film industry. Born in Shimoga, Karnataka, to Sanjeev Manjappa and Saroja, Sudeep pursued a Bachelor's degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru. Driven by a deep passion for the performing arts, he later honed his craft at the renowned Roshan Taneja School of Acting in Mumbai. He made his feature film debut in 1997 with *Thayavva*, but first gained significant recognition for his lead role in Sunil Kumar Desai's romantic drama *Sparsha* (2000). His major cinematic breakthrough and career-defining moment arrived with the 2001 romantic action drama *Huchcha*. His intense and deeply moving portrayal of a college student who loses his sanity earned him the enduring moniker "Kiccha", a nickname by which fans and the industry still refer to him today. This performance launched an extraordinary streak of critical and commercial success, leading to an unprecedented achievement: winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Kannada) for three consecutive years for his roles in *Huchcha* (2001), *Nandhi* (2002), and *Swathi Muthu* (2003). His powerful performance in *Nandhi* also earned him the prestigious Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor. Expanding his creative footprint, Sudeep made a highly successful directorial debut with *My Autograph* (2006). He went on to direct and star in several major commercial blockbusters, including *Kempe Gowda* (2011) and *Maanikya* (2014). He catapulted to massive pan-Indian fame and widespread critical acclaim for his phenomenal performance as the ruthless, womanizing antagonist in S. S. Rajamouli's blockbuster Telugu-Tamil bilingual fantasy film *Eega* (2012), a role that won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Telugu. His reach across Indian cinema continued to grow with impactful roles in Bollywood films such as Ram Gopal Varma's *Phoonk* (2008) and *Rann* (2010), and as the primary antagonist in Salman Khan's *Dabangg 3* (2019). He also made notable appearances in massive multi-language epics like *Baahubali: The Beginning* (2015) and *Puli* (2015). Meanwhile, he maintained his box-office dominance in Kannada cinema with high-budget entertainers like *Kotigobba 2* (2016), *Hebbuli* (2017), *The Villain* (2018), *Pailwaan* (2019), and the 3D fantasy action-adventure *Vikrant Rona* (2022). Beyond the silver screen, Sudeep is a towering figure in Kannada television. He has served as the charismatic and authoritative host of the reality television show *Bigg Boss Kannada* since its very first season in 2013, solidifying his deep connection with audiences across the state.
Feature Films (72)
A realtor fires one of his co-workers and out of spite, the co-worker and his wife does black magic on his daughter. Being an atheist, he shuns his mother and wife's theories on the supernatural and relies on a doctor for his daughter's treatment.
Phoonk
A maverick senior cop reports for duty at a new police station and soon find himself embroiled in an unexpectedly dangerous turn of events.
MAX
A passionate flower decorator, Nani, falls for his neighbor, Bindhu, but their budding romance takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Sudeep, a ruthless and powerful businessman.
Eega
Bharat alias Bachchan is a kind-hearted real estate businessman, who is the MD of the Bharat Property Solutions. He is deeply in love with Anjali (Bhavana), who is doing MS in Bellary and wants to deliver honest service to the needy people. But her wish becomes an obstacle for a mining mafia don.
Bachchan
Vijay and Manasa's families have been at each other's throat's since the past 25 years. However, things take a turn when they fall in love with each other.
Maanikya
An enraged and influential gangster plans the ultimate vengeance against an honest police officer.
Kempe Gowda
Television & Series (4)
The Kannada version of the reality show where a number of contestants (known as "housemates") live in a purpose-built house and are isolated from the rest of the world. Each week, housemates nominate two of their fellow housemates for eviction, and the housemates who receive the most nominations faces a public vote out.
Bigg Boss Kannada
Bigg Boss Kannada is a reality show based on the Hindi show Bigg Boss which too was based on the original Dutch Big Brother. A number of contestants (known as "housemates") live in a purpose-built house and are isolated from the rest of the world. Each week, housemates nominate two of their fellow housemates for eviction, and the housemates who receives the most nominations would face a public vote. Eventually, one housemate would leave after being "convicted" from the House. In the final week, there were five housemates remaining, and the public voted for who they wanted to win. Housemates are overseen by a mysterious person known as 'Bigg Boss', whose only presence in the house is through his voice.
Bigg Boss Kannada
Kapil Sharma is back with his gang - Bindu, Chandan and 'mohalle ki dhoban' Gudiya. In tow is a new character, Maski, along with Goli, Roopmati and more! Enjoy guaranteed laughter with Kapil and his antics as different celebrities join in.
The Kapil Sharma Show
Prominent celebrities in various fields, primarily from Karnataka, are invited to tell the story of their lives. Over steaming cups of coffee, Ramesh Aravind takes the audience on an inside journey with the celebrities through all walks of their lives.
