OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023: Rishab Shetty wins ‘Gamechanger of the Year’ title

2022 was a rather momentous year for Rishab Shetty and the reason would be the widely celebrated film, Kantara. The actor & filmmaker, who went on to gain national prominence on the back of the success of his film, has been honoured with the Gamechanger of the Year award at the luminous OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023. The dazzling awards ceremony took place at the very popular JW Marriott (Juhu), Mumbai, and saw the who's who of the Indian film and OTT fraternity in attendance.

At the inaugural OTTplay Awards Ceremony held in 2022, Rishab Shetty was honoured for Pioneering Contributions to New Wave Cinema along with colleague and friend Raj B. Shetty.

Kantara, the Kannada film, not only yielded stellar box office results and became arguably the biggest 'sleeper hit' of the recent past but it also transcended cultural and linguistic boundaries. Along with Rishab's superb central performance, which acquired a cult status within no time, the global audience was mighty impressed with Kantara's unique soundtrack, the excellent technical finesse and most importantly, the folklore & culture it represented.

Aside from being a sought-after actor and filmmaker, Rishab is also a highly regarded film producer in Kannada Cinema. Some of his best endeavours, under the home banner of Rishab Shetty Films, include Natesh Hegde's highly acclaimed feature debut, Pedro, Shivamma (directed by Jaishankar Aryar), and Vaghachi Pani (also by Natesh Hegde).

In 2016, he directed the blockbuster Kirik Party (starring Rakshit Shetty) which launched the current sensation, Rashmika Mandanna. His 2018 directorial, Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film, at the 66th National Film Awards.

The ‘Gamechanger of the Year’ award is conferred on him for his skilful rendition of a folktale and for using the 'local is more universal' mantra to drive home the message, thus resulting in a game-changing box office succeess. The 'OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023' aims at honouring and celebrating those young talents who have brought about a radical change in Indian cinema and digital media. This is the first edition of the awards.