Wing Commander Harihar Gundurao Dattatreya AE(L) (Retd.) (born 1942), popularly known as Dattanna, is an Indian actor who has appeared in more than 204 films and several

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

s. Alongside his career as an actor, he served in the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...

as a commissioned officer for over 20 years and also occupied academic positions with

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the worl ...

(HAL). He is best known for his work in

Kannada cinema Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film '' Sati Sulochana'' direct ...

, in which he appears in mostly supporting roles. In a film career of almost three decades, he has won two National Film Award – Special Jury Awards, one

National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Supporting Actor (), is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), a ...

and two

Karnataka State Film Awards Karnataka State Film Awards are the most notable and prestigious film awards given for Kannada film industry in Karnataka, India. These are considered the highest awards for Kannada language films. They are given annually by the Government ...

. He is known for his performances in ''

Munnudi '' Munnudi '' ( kn, ಮುನ್ನುಡಿ, ''The Preface'') is a 2000 Indian Kannada language film directed by P. Sheshadri, based on Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi's short story ''Muthucchera'', and starring Tara, H. G. Dattatreya, Shashikumar an ...

'' (2000), ''

Bettada Jeeva ''Bettada Jeeva'' is a National Award-winning (2011) Kannada film directed by P. Sheshadri starring H. G. Dattatreya, Suchendra Prasad, Rameshwari Varma and others. The story is based on Jnanpith awardee K. Shivaram Karanth's novel. It depicts th ...

'' (2011) and ''

Bharath Stores ''Bharath Stores'' ( kn, ಭಾರತ್ ಸ್ಟೋರ್ಸ್) is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language film directed by P. Sheshadri, starring Sudharani, H. G. Dattatreya, Chi Guru Dutt, V. Manohar and others. The film deals with issue of Forei ...

'' (2012).

Early life and education

Dattatreya was born in 1942 in

Chitradurga Chitradurga is a city and the headquarters of Chitradurga district, which is located on the valley of the Vedavati river in the central part of the Indian state of Karnataka. Chitradurga is a place with historical significance which is locate ...

, in the erstwhile

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(now in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

) to Harihar Gundurao and Venkamma. He has six siblings; brothers H. G. Venkatesh, was a physicist at the

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) is a public institute of technology established by the Government of India in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Established in 1951, the institute is the first of the IITs to be established ...

; H. G. Suryanarayana Rao, is a professor of English in

University of Mysore The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...

; and H. G. Somashekar Rao, a writer and an occasional actor. Dattatreya completed his education in Chitradurga. He secured the first rank in his matriculation exams in 1958, and second rank on completion of his

pre-university course The Pre-University Course or Pre-Degree Course (PUC or PDC) is an 2-year Senior Secondary Course under the 10+2 education system after Class 10th (SSLC, SSC) and the PUC commonly refers to Class 11th and Class 12th and called as 1st PUC (1st Year ...

in 1959. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from

University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) was established in 1917, under the name Government Engineering College, by Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya. It is the fifth engineering college to be established in the country and first ...

(UVCE),

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, in 1964. In 1978, he obtained a master's degree in electrical communication engineering from

Indian Institute of Science The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public, deemed, research university for higher education and research in science, engineering, design, and management. It is located in Bengaluru, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The institute was ...

(IISc), Bangalore. He was the first and last person getting first rank in SSLC state board exams (1955) in Chitradurga school.

Career

In Indian Air Force

After graduating in 1964, Dattatreya joined the

, as a Commissioned Officer in its Technical Branch. He subsequently trained at Air Force Technical College,

and while studying his post graduation in IISc, Bangalore, he received a certificate on completion of a project on "Management and Advance Technologies", in 1984. He served the IAF for over 20 years, before retiring as a

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

. Upon retirement, he served in the Management Academy of

(HAL), the Staff Training College, as its Deputy General Manager and Principal.

As actor

Dattatreya began acting in plays in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and while studying engineering in college at UVCE. His first appearance in a Kannada film came in

T. S. Nagabharana Talakadu Srinivasaiah Nagabharana (born 23 January 1953), commonly known as T. S. Nagabharana, is an Indian film director, in the Kannada film industry and a pioneer of parallel cinema. He is one of the few film directors to have straddled th ...

's ''

Aasphota ''Aasphota'' is 1988 Indian Kannada political drama film directed by T. S. Nagabharana, based on the novel ''Ayana'' by Manu (P. N. Rangan). The film stars Sridhar and H. G. Dattatreya, in his film debut, in the lead roles. The film won numer ...

'' (1988), which earned him the

Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada language films. Superlative Winners Award winners The f ...

. Since then, he went on to appear in several films that have won multiple awards such as '' Kraurya'' (1996) and ''

'' (2000). His performance in the latter film earned him the

and the

Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada Language films. Superlatives Recipients The first recipient was ...

. Dattatreya's performances in '' Mouni'' (2003) won him a National Film Award – Special Jury Award at the 51st National Film Awards. In the 2012 released film ''

'', his role as Govinda Shetty, a Grocery shop owner hit hard when the Union Government increases

foreign direct investment A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct c ...

in the retail sector, won widespread critical acclaim. He won his second National Special Jury Award at the

60th National Film Awards The 60th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2012 in the Indian cinema. The ceremony was held on 3 May 2013 and was hos ...

. He was also awarded the Best Actor at the International Film Festival in Fiji in 2013.

Partial filmography

* ''Udbhav'' (1988) - Hindi * ''

'' (1988) * ''Madhuri'' (1989) * ''

Santha Shishunala Sharifa ''Santha Shishunala Sharifa'' ( kn, ಸಂತ ಶಿಶುನಾಳ ಶರೀಫ) is a 1990 Indian Kannada biographical drama film directed and co-written by T. S. Nagabharana and produced by Srihari Khoday and Mahima Patel for Yajaman Enterpris ...

'' (1990) * ''

Mysore Mallige Jasmine is considered the queen of flowers and is called the "Belle of India" or the "Queen of fragrance" as it is exquisitely scented to soothe and refresh. In different parts of India it is called by different names—Mogra, Motia, Chameli ...

'' (1992) * ''

Harakeya Kuri ''Harakeya Kuri'' is a 1992 Indian Kannada political drama film directed and produced by K. S. L. Swamy (Lalitha Ravee). Starring Vishnuvardhan, Prakash Rai and Geetha in lead roles, the film was based on the novel of the same name by Chandr ...

'' (1992) * ''

Chinnari Mutha ''Chinnari Mutta'' () is a 1993 Indian Kannada language children's film, directed by T. S. Nagabharana, starring H. G. Dattatreya and Master Vijay Raghavendra. At the 41st National Film Awards, the film was awarded the Best Feature Film i ...

''(1993) * ''

Kotreshi Kanasu ''Kotreshi Kanasu'' ( kn, ಕೊಟ್ರೇಶಿ ಕನಸು, ''Dream of Kotreshi'') is a 1994 Indian Kannada language film directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar starring Vijay Raghavendra and Karibasavaiah. The film won two National Film ...

'' (1994) * ''Lady Police'' (1995) * '' Kraurya'' (1996) * ''Ganga Yamuna'' (1997) * '' Ulta Palta''(1997) * ''

America America ''America America'' (British title ''The Anatolian Smile''—a reference to an ongoing acknowledgment of the character Stavros' captivating smile) is a 1963 American drama film directed, produced and written by Elia Kazan, adapted from his own b ...

'' (1997) * '' Andaman'' (1998) * ''

Hoomale ''Hoomale'' () is a 1998 Indian Kannada language film directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar and written by Ramesh Aravind. The film, besides Ramesh, stars Suman Nagarkar, H. G. Dattatreya, Sorat Ashwath and B. V. Radha in prominent roles. Pr ...

'' (1998) * ''Maha Edabidangi'' (1999) * ''Chaithrada Chiguru'' (1999) * ''Prema Prema Prema'' (1999) *''

Thilaadanam ''Thiladaanam'' (The Rite... A Passion) is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language drama film, written, and directed by film-critic K. N. T. Sastry in his debut directorial, based on the story by Rentala Nageswara Rao. The film features H. G. Dattatreya ...

'' (2000; Telugu) * ''

'' (2000)... Hasanabba * ''Chandana Chiguru'' (2001) * ''

Atithi Atithi may refer to: * '' Atithi Devo Bhava'', meaning the Guest is equal to God as per Hindu scripture * ''Atithi'' (1965 film), a 1965 Bengali film * '' Atithee'', a 1978 Hindi film * ''Atithi'' (2002 film), a 2002 Kannada film * ''Atithi'' (20 ...

'' (2002) * ''Don'' (2003) * '' Mouni'' (2003) * ''Yahoo'' (2004)...Haladi Nagappas ghost * ''

Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

'' (2004) * '' Joke falls'' (2004) * '' Dr. B. R. Ambedkar'' (2005) * '' Beru'' (2005) * '' Siddu'' (2005) * ''

Rama Shama Bhama ''Rama Shama Bhama'' is a 2005 Indian Kannada language comedy film directed by Ramesh Aravind making his directorial debut and the film stars himself in lead role with Kamal Haasan, Urvashi, Daisy Bopanna and Shruthi portraying supporting r ...

'' (2005) * ''

Thutturi ''Thutturi'' (''The Bugle'') is a National Award winning (2006) Kannada children's film directed by P. Sheshadri, starring Karthik Sharma, Kishan Shrikanth, Prathama and H. G. Dattatreya. The film was released on 12 May 2006. Plot The film is ...

'' (2006) * ''Miss California (film), Miss California'' (2006) * ''

Uppi Dada M.B.B.S. ''Uppi Dada M.B.B.S.'' is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language comedy drama film directed by D. Rajendra Babu. It is a remake of the Hindi film '' Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.''. The film stars Upendra, Uma and Anant Nag. The music is composed by R. P. Patn ...

'' (2006) * ''Masanada Makkalu'' (2007) * '' Sathyavan Savithri'' (2007) * ''

Kaada Beladingalu ''Kaada Beladingalu'' ( kn, ಕಾಡ ಬೆಳದಿಂಗಳು) is a Kannada language film released in 2007 and directed by B. S. Lingadevaru. The movie is about the impact of urbanization on the old people living in the rural areas. The film ...

'' (2007) * '' Atheetham'' (2007) * ''Hani Hani'' (2008) * ''

Anu , image=Detail, upper part, Kudurru of Ritti-Marduk, from Sippar, Iraq, 1125-1104 BCE. British Museum.jpg , caption=Symbols of various deities, including Anu (bottom right corner) on a kudurru of Ritti-Marduk, from Sippar, Iraq, 1125–1104 BCE , ...

'' (2009) * ''

Maleyali Jotheyali ''Maleyali Jotheyali'' is a 2009 Indian Kannada-language film that stars Ganesh, Anjana Sukhani and Yuvika Chaudhary.It is directed by Preetham Gubbi, who also co-wrote the script. Shilpa Ganesh, wife of Ganesh, produced the film under their pr ...

'' (2009) * ''Kurunadu'' (2009) * ''Daatu'' (2009) * ''Anishchitha'' (2010) * ''

Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu ''Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu'' is a 2010 Indian Kannada-language film written and directed by D. P. Raghuram. It stars Shiva Rajkumar and Sonal Chauhan. The film was notable in that it had scenes shot in the seven wonders of the world. Cast * Shiva ...

'' (2010)... Gopala Gowda * ''

Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam ''Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam'' is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language romance film starring Duniya Vijay and Ramya. The film is directed by Preetam Gubbi of ''Mungaru Male'' fame. Jayanna and Bhogendra have jointly produced this venture under ...

'' (2011) * ''

'' (2011)... Gopalaiah * ''Allide Nammane Illi Bande Summane'' (2011) * ''

Paramathma ''Paramatman'' (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or ''Paramātmā'' is the Absolute '' Atman'', or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian r ...

'' (2011)... Appanna * ''

Dashamukha ''Dashamukha'' is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Ravi Srivatsaa. It has an ensemble cast including V. Ravichandran, Ananth Nag, Devaraj, Avinash, Ravi Kale, Chetan Kumar, Aakanksha Mansukhani and Saritha. The film is a remake of ...

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2012)... Govinda Shetty * '' December-1'' (2014) * ''Matthe Satyagraha'' (2014) * '' Bahaddur'' (2014) * ''

Baanaadi ''Baanaadi'' ( kn, ಬಾನಾಡಿ) is a 2014 Indian Kannada language children's film written and directed by debutant Nagaraj Kote, based on the novel ''Usiru'' he wrote. It stars Praful Vishwakarma, H. G. Dattatreya and Rajesh Nataranga in ...

'' (2014) * ''

Haggada Kone ''Haggada Kone'' ( en, End of the Rope) is a 2014 Indian Kannada language crime-drama film directed by Dayal Padmanabhan and stars Naveen Krishna in the lead role. The film is a modern-day adaptation of a play of the same name written by Parvath ...

'' (2014) * ''Male Nilluvavarege'' (2015) * ''

Endendigu ''Endendigu'' is a 2015 Indian Kannada romantic thriller film written directed by Imran Sardhariya, and stars Ajay Rao and Radhika Pandit in the lead roles. The supporting cast features Shanthamma, Ashok, Kalyani Raju, Pavitra Lokesh, Tabla Nan ...

'' (2015) * ''

Vidaaya ''Vidaaya'' ( kn, ವಿದಾಯ; ''Farewell'') is a 2015 Indian Kannada film written and directed by P. Sheshadri, starring Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Suchendra Prasad, H. G. Dattatreya and Pratham in lead roles. Plot Vasuki is a father of two chi ...

'' (2015) * ''

Parapancha ''Parapancha'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language psychological comedy film directed & written by Krish Joshi and produced by Yogaraj Movies in association with Vedam Studios. The film stars Diganth and Ragini Dwivedi in the lead roles besides A ...

'' (2016) * ''

Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu ''Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu'' () is a 2016 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Hemanth Rao, making his debut, and produced by Pushkara Mallikarjun under Pushkar Films. The film stars Anant Nag and Rakshit Shetty in the lead r ...

'' (2016) * ''Home Stay'' (2016) * ''Jigarthanda'' (2016) * ''

Run Anthony ''Run Antony'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada action thriller film written and directed by Raghu Shastri, making his debut. Produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar and Guru Rajkumar under Vajreshwari Hospitality banner, the film stars V ...

'' (2016) * ''

Santheyalli Nintha Kabira ''Santheyalli Nintha Kabira'' (English: Kabira standing in market) is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language epic biopic-drama film adapted from Bhisham Sahni's Hindi play ''Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein''. The film is directed Indra Babu of Kabbadi fame. ...

'' (2016) * '' Happy Birthday'' (2016) * ''

Neer Dose ''Neer Dose'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language black comedy film produced by T. Goswami and Shashikala Balaji, written and directed by Vijaya Prasad. It stars Jaggesh and Hariprriya alongside Suman Ranganathan and H. G. Dattatreya. It was one ...

'' (2016) * ''

Doddmane Hudga ''Doddmane Hudga'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language action drama film co-written and directed by Duniya Soori, featuring Puneeth Rajkumar and Radhika Pandit. The film also features an ensemble cast of Ambarish, Sumalatha, Bharathi Vishnuvardh ...

(2016)'' * ''Srinivasa Kalyana'' (2017) * '' Jilebi'' (2017) * ''Prathima'' (2017) * ''

Raajakumara ''Raajakumara'' () is a 2017 Indian Kannada language action drama film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films banner. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Priya Anand in lead roles. Apart fro ...

'' (2017) * ''Tab'' (2017) * ''Kempirve'' (2017) * '' Hombanna'' (2017) *'' Churikatte'' (2018) * ''

Kannadakkaagi Ondannu Otti ''Kannadakkaagi Ondannu Otti'' (English: Dial One for Kannada) is a 2018 Kannada film directed by Kushal Gowda starring Shatamarshan Avinash and Krishi Thapanda. The cast includes Chikkanna, Dattanna, Rangayana Raghu, Suchendra Prasad. Cast ...

'' (2018) * ''Double Engine'' (2018) * ''Loud Speaker'' (2018) * ''Amrutha Ghalige'' (2018) * '' Joshelay'' (2018) - Web Series * ''Ajja'' (2018) * '' Ananthu Vs Nusrath'' (2018) * ''

Mission Mangal ''Mission Mangal'' (English: "Mission Mars") is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Jagan Shakti and produced by Cape of Good Films, Hope Productions, Fox Star Studios, Aruna Bhatia and Anil Naidu. Loosely based on the life of s ...

'' (Hindi) (2019) * ''

Premier Padmini The Premier Padmini was a four-seat saloon manufactured in India from 1964 to 2001 by Premier Automobiles Limited, a division of the Walchand Group, under license from Fiat and marketed initially as the ''Fiat 1100 Delight'' — and from 1974 ...

'' (2019) * ''

Sarvajanikarige Suvarnavakasha ''Sarvajanikarige Suvarnavakasha'' () is a 2019 Kannada-language comedy film written and directed by Anoop Ramaswamy Kashyap, based on the short story ''The Necklace'' (1884) by Guy de Maupassant. The film stars Rishi and Dhanya Balakrishna in h ...

'' (2019) * ''

Brahmachari Brahmachari may refer to: * Brahmachari, a male who practices ''brahmacharya'', a type of living as per Hindu Vedic Scriptures, feminine ''Brahmacharini'' * Brahmachari, a prominent surname / title among the Bengali people of West Bengal, Assam and ...

'' (2019) * ''

Act 1978 ''Act 1978'' ( kan, ಆಕ್ಟ್ ೧೯೭೮ ) is a 2020 Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with mino ...

'' (2020)...Venkatachalaiah * '' SriKrishna@gmail.com'' (2021) * '' Rider'' (2021) as Principal * ''Nan Hesaru Kishora Yel Pass Yentu'' (2021) * ''Four Walls & Two Nighties '' (2022) as Mavayya * '' Tothapuri'' (2022)

Awards and nominations

* 1987–88 :

: ''

'' *

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

: ''

'' * 2000 : Film Fans Association Award for Best Supporting Actor: ''

'' * 2000–01 :

: ''

'' *

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

: National Film Award – Special Jury Award: '' Mouni'' * 2011 : nominated :

Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Kannada The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award is and award presented annually by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Kannada films. It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...

: ''

'' *

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

: National Film Award – Special Jury Award : ''

'' * 2013 : Best Actor Award at the Fiji International Film Festival for ''

'' * 2016 : nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Kannada for ''

'' * 2016 : nominated, SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Kannada for ''

'' * 2016 : nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Kannada for '' Kempirve''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dattatreya, H. G. 1942 births Living people People from Chitradurga Male actors in Kannada cinema Indian male film actors Indian male stage actors Indian Institute of Science alumni Male actors from Karnataka 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Best Supporting Actor National Film Award winners Special Mention (feature film) National Film Award winners University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering alumni Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2022