Bengaluru, Aug 29: Sandalwood actor and director Rishabh Shetty has once again taken the glory of the Kannada film industry to the global stage by getting a place.
The unprecedented success created at the pan-India level and the influence of his films are the main reasons for this achievement. While Rishabh Shetty has been named in the cinema category, renowned Kannada writer Bhanu Mushtaq has been named in the writers category.
Sandalwood actor and director Rishabh Shetty has brought glory to the Kannada film industry by getting a place in the list of the country’s top 100 celebrities released by the prestigious ‘Forbes India’.
The unprecedented success created at the pan-India level and the influence of his films are the main reasons for this achievement.
Rishabh achieves rare feat
Rishabh Shetty is the only person to be selected in all three categories – actor, director and writer. Rishabh has achieved such a unique feat that no other Indian language celebrity has done. A proud Kannada star has set a new record by making it to this prestigious list.
The much-awaited mythological prequel ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, directed and starred by Rishabh Shetty under the banner of Hombale Films, had a great performance worldwide and earned more than ₹800 crore. With this, it emerged as the highest-grossing major Indian film of 2025.
It also surpassed the earnings of the big-budget Bollywood film ‘Chhava’ and took the lead. It also took one of the top spots in the list of highest-grossing Kannada films of all time.
The film, which brilliantly brought to the screen local folklore, divine worship and the conflict between nature and man, has been appreciated by global critics. It can be said that it has effectively represented the essence of Indian art on an international level.
This all-time success of the film has not only further increased the value of Hombale Films, but has also established Rishab Shetty as a leading actor and director on a pan-India level.
It is a significant milestone in the history of Sandalwood that a Kannadigas has made it to the list of the country’s top 100 celebrities by tying local stories to global standards.