Asthik Avinash Shetty is an actor, model and ex cricketer who hails from Karnataka, India. He was born in Suratkal, Mangalore, India. He is also a contestant in bigg boss kannada season 10 where he made entry through wild card.
Prominent in the Tulu film industry, Avinash Shetty made his silver screen debut with the Coastalwood film Jai Tulunad. His 2016 release includes the Kannada movie Badmaash. Starring Dhananjaya and Sanchitha Shetty in the lead roles, Badmaash is directed by Akash Srivatsa.
In recent times the Tulu film industry, or Coastalwood as it is known, has made tremendous progress with the release of a number of films, many of them going on to become superhits and ruling the local box office. The popularity of Coastalwood has grown in multiple folds by reaching out to the Tulu speaking people across the globe. The popular belief is that comedy artistes with drama background alone can sustain in this industry. But Avinash Shetty may well prove this notion wrong.
Avinash made his debut in Coastalwood with ‘Jai Tulunad’ produced by NRI entrepreneur Frank Fernandes. He has also made a mark in the Kannada filmdom.
Avinash Shetty is a graduate in BHRD from SDM College of Management, Mangaluru. Says he, “I never thought I would be an actor. I always wished to be a cricketer and even played for Mangaluru zone. It was in SDM College where this complete transformation in my personality happened. As we had to participate in different events and competitions, I got to learn many things. This boosted my confidence and then I started to host events and got opportunities to face the stage. Since then there was never looking back.
“It was in the final year of college when many of my friends suggested that I do something in the field of entertainment and I too decided that this is what I wanted to do,” he adds.
| Full name | Asthik Avinash Shetty |
| Nickname | Avinash, Avi |
| Date of Birth/DOB | TBU |
| Birth Place | Suratkal, Mangalore, India |
| Current City | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Profession | Actor, Cricketer and Bigg Boss Kannada Contestant |
| Father name | not known |
| Mother name | not known |
| Married Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | Unknown |
| College name | SDM College of Management, Mangalore |
| Cricket Career | Played for Mangalore zone |
| Education Qualification | Graduate in BHRD |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Nationality | Indian |
Movies and Awards List
| Jai Tulunadu | Tulu |
| Challa Pilli, Power | Kannada |
| Mr Mangalore | 2007 |
| Mr South India | 2012 |
In the year 2007 he won the Mr Mangalore title. That is when he was offered small ad films and modeling assignments with Jazz Bay. Wanting to try his hand at acting, he took up a short term acting course at Mumbai.
He then went on to win the Mr South India title in 2012, which paved the way into Kannada movie industry. He was offered a role in the big banner movie ‘Challa Pilli’ produced by Sudesh Shetty. In the year 2014 he got a major breakthrough with the movie ‘Power Star’ starring Puneeth Rajkumar, where he was offered the lead negative role. His performance was well appreciated and this led to another major assignment, this time in the Tulu industry.
He acted in the Tulu movie ‘Jai Tulunad’ as a lead protagonist and his performance was much appreciated. “Since the movie involved all the aspects like family drama, romance and action, it gave me a lot of exposure. My role in the movie was appreciated in Gandhinagar too,” he says.
He now looking to foray into the Telugu movie industry, and is currently working on major assignments. He would be seen as an athlete (second lead) in a Telugu movie produced under the banner of Shanmugam Productions. He was also seen in the Kannada movie ‘Badmaash’. With these and some more projects under his belt, he is definitely the rising star of the regional movie industry.
Talking about the need for more Tulu movies Avinash says, “Many more producers should come forward to make Tulu movies. When Tulu movies are produced it will help showcase the talent of the coastal region and popularize Tulu language across the globe. It will also provide an opportunity to budding actors and actress.”
His message to budding actors is not to neglect studies while pursuing their passion. “If you want be an actor be clear about your choice and work hard. There is no alternative for success. Do not neglect studies, as it can be a backup in case you do not succeed in acting.”
Here’s wishing the Mangalurean hunk all the luck and success!
