Pruthvi Ambaar

Pruthvi Ambaar (born 17 August 1988) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Kannada and Tulu cinema, with notable appearances in Hindi, Marathi, and Tamil films. He began his career as a radio jockey in Mangaluru under the name RJ Nagaraj, before transitioning to acting through short films and television serials.^[2]

Pruthvi Ambaar
Born	(1988-08-17) 17 August 1988 (age 37) Udupi, Karnataka, India
Other names	Nagaraj Ambaar
Education	St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India
Occupations	Radio jockey, Actor
Spouse	Parul Shukla ​ (m. 2019)​ [1]

Ambaar made his film debut in the Tulu film Barke (2014) and gained early recognition with Pilibail Yamunakka (2016), directed by K Sooraj Shetty, which became a hit in the Tulu film industry. His breakthrough came with the Kannada romantic drama Dia (2020), directed by K S Ashoka, where his portrayal of Adi earned widespread critical acclaim. The film’s success established him as one of the most promising actors in South Indian cinema. For Dia, Ambaar won the SIIMA Award for Best Male Debut – Kannada and the Santhosham Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, along with nominations from critics’ associations.

Over the years, Ambaar has starred in films such as Sugarless (2022), Dooradarshana (2023), and Kothalavadi (2025).

Early life

Pruthvi Ambaar was born on 17 August 1988 in Udupi, Karnataka, India, into a Tulu-speaking family. He completed his schooling in Udupi and pursued higher education in Mangalore, where he developed an interest in performing arts. Before entering films, Ambaar worked as a radio jockey and appeared in short films and television serials, which helped him gain visibility and refine his acting skills. His early exposure to media and stage performances laid the foundation for his film career.

Career

2014-2020: Early Work and Tulu cinema

Ambaar made his acting debut in the Tulu film Barke (2014). Though the film had a modest release, it marked his entry into cinema after working as a radio jockey and appearing in short films. He rose to prominence with Pilibail Yamunakka, directed by K Sooraj Shetty, co-starring Sonal Monteiro. The film was a major hit in the Tulu belt, earning him the Red FM Tulu Film Award for Best Actor. He continued to appear in regional hits like Appe Teacher and Rambarooti, earning praise for his comic timing and relatable performances.

2020-Present: Breakthrough in Kannada cinema and career expansion

He made his Kannada film debut with Rajaru (2017), followed by DK Bose (2019), directed by Anil Kumar.

Ambaar’s career-defining moment came with Dia (2020), directed by K S Ashoka, opposite Kushee Ravi and Dheekshith Shetty. He portrayed Adi, a selfless lover.^[3] The film became a hit and earned Ambaar the SIIMA Award for Best Male Debut – Kannada. Ambaar reprised his role in the Hindi remake Dear Dia (2022), marking his Bollywood debut and its Marathi adaptation Sari (2023).

He also appeared in Kannada films like Sugarless (2022), directed by Shashidhar KM, opposite Priyanka Thimmesh. His other noteworthy role came through Bairagee alongside Shivarajkumar. Ambaar starred in Dooradarshana (2023), directed by Arvind Kuplikar, opposite Meghana Gaonkar, a nostalgic comedy set in the 1980s. He also featured in the anthology Pentagon (segment Karma).

He appeared in Juni, directed by Vaibhav, playing Partha in a romantic drama, and in Matsyagandha. His Tamil debut came with Mazhai Pidikkatha Manithan. His film Happily Married had a direct OTT release.

In 2025, Ambaar continued his successful run with Kothalavadi, an action drama directed by Lohith,^[4] and Bhuvanam Gaganam. He also signed Dear Uma (Telugu) and Life Is Beautiful, expanding his multilingual footprint.

Personal life

Pruthvi married Parul Shukla on 3 November 2019 in a traditional ceremony held in Uppala, Kasaragod district.^[5] The couple first met over a decade earlier on the set of the dance reality show Great Karnataka Dance League in Bengaluru, where they were contestants on different teams. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Charvie, on 12 March 2022.

Filmography

Films

Key

†	Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes	Ref.
2014	Barke		Tulu	Debut film; credited as Nagaraj Ambar	[6]
	The Flow		Kannada	Short films; Credited as Nagraj Ambaar
	Yenchi Saav Maare
2016	Pilibail Yamunakka	Gautham	Tulu		[7]
	Karvva	Rahul	Kannada	Uncredited role	[8]
2017	Rajaru				[9]
2018	Ammer Polisa	Himself	Tulu	Guest appearance	[10]
	Pammanne The Great				[11]
2019	DK Bose	Bharath	Kannada		[12]
	Golmaal		Tulu		[13]
	Aati Donji Dina				[14][15]
	English				[16]
2020	Dia	Adi	Kannada		[17]
	Kudkana Madme		Tulu		[18]
	Enna				[19]
	2 Ekre				[20]
2022	Dear Dia	Adi	Hindi	Hindi film debut	[21]
	Bairagee	Vaatapi	Kannada
	Sugarless	Venkatesh			[22]
	VIP'S Last Bench		Tulu		[23]
2023	Dooradarshana	Manu	Kannada		[24][25]
	Pentagon			Anthology film; segment Karma	[26]
	Sari	Adi	Marathi		[27]
2024	Juni	Partha	Kannada
	For Regn	Akshay			[28]
	Matsyagandha	Param
	Mazhai Pidikkatha Manithan	Burma	Tamil		[29]
2025	Bhuvanam Gaganam	Ram	Kannada
	Dear Uma	Dev	Telugu		[30]
	Kothalavadi	Mohana	Kannada
TBA	Life Is Beautiful †			Post-production	[31]

Television

Year	Name	Role	Network	Notes
2008	Radha Kalyana	Sheelam	Zee Kannada
2014	Sagara Sangama	Sanju
2015	Love Lavike	Manu
2020	Jothe Jotheyali	Neel		Special appearance
2023	Farzi	Sunny	Amazon Prime Video	Dubbed for Kannada version; webseries

Awards and nominations

Film	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
Pilibail Yamunakka	RED FM Tulu Film Awards	Best Actor	Won	[32]
Dia	Chandanavana Film Critics Academy	Best Actor in a Leading Role-Male	Nominated	[33]
	South Indian International Movie Awards	Best Male Debut – Kannada	Won
	Santosham Film Awards	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Won