Shivarajkumar’s impressive film lineup – 20 odd films have him sorted for at least a decade

At any given point in time, Century Star Shivarajkumar is the Kannada actor with the most projects in hand, with filmmakers queueing up to get collaborate, even if the film will take off only after a few years. He’s also the actor who has at least 1-2 releases in a year to justify this schedule. At 63, the actor has no intention of slowing down and has at least a dozen projects, if not more, lined up to take off.

Shivarajkumar's upcoming filmography

Shivanna, as the actor is fondly known, was last seen in a cameo in his daughter Niveditha’s production, Firefly, but as a leading man, it was Bhairathi Ranagal that he got to theatres before putting his focus entirely on his cancer treatment and recovery. Amid the promotions of the Mufti prequel, the Hattrick Hero also wound up the shoot of 45, the directorial debut of composer Arjun Janya, which will be his next release, scheduled for August 15, 2025. This film, though, is likely to get postponed owing to the deluge of big-ticket movies that week, including Coolie and War 2.

What’s next then? Well, there’s Karthik Adwaith’s as-yet-untitled #Shivanna131, which the actor resumed shooting for after his return from the US. This is expected to be the Century Star’s first release in 2026. Thereafter, it is Hemanth M Rao who has jumped the queue to the very front, despite being among the last to join the bandwagon of filmmakers waiting for the actor’s dates.

Hemanth was to do the action-packed Bhairavana Kone Paata with Shivanna, but given that the actor’s not back to full physical fitness, the filmmaker has squeezed in another quick project. Called 666 Operation Dream Theatre, the film, reportedly, has Shivanna play a spy in this retro thriller, which also stars Daali Dhananjaya.

Also read: Much-awaited Shivarajkumar films that may not happen after all 

The actor has another project with Dhananjaya to complete - the two-part gangster saga Uttarakaanda, which was put on hold owing to the former’s health issue. There’s no timeline on when Shivanna will resume this actioner, and the team went ahead and made Ekka with Yuva Rajkumar in the interim.

MG Srinivas, who made the action heist drama Ghost with the Century Star, is onboard to direct their next home production, a children’s film called A for Anand, in which Shivanna plays the title character, a teacher, in this adaptation of Toto Chan: The Girl By the Window. Srinivas is currently shooting the sequel to his film Birbal, so, it remains to be seen when he begins work on A for Anand. Srini has also announced a Ghost sequel, as well as a Dalavayi Muddanna spin-off as part of his plans with the actor.

Thereafter, there are multiple projects, but there’s no clarity about which one will be moved up the order, given that some have remained announcements since 2022. For instance, Ellide Illi Tanaka director Tejasvi had announced a Shivanna directorial, but it’s remained just that. Director Kotresh Chaparadalli’s project has had some progress; it has a title – Rathotsava. Mummy Save Me and Devaki maker Lohith H’s Satyamangala is also a project that’s yet to move ahead, as is Nandakishore’s Shivagana, Ravi Arasu’s Jawa, Simple Suni’s Manamohaka. This year, Naveen Shetty announced a film called Dheera with Shivanna, but revealed no other details.

There are untitled projects with directors Pavan Wadeyar, Nagashekar, R Chandru, Dinakar Thoogudeepa and Balaji Madhavan, as well as with Tagaru producer KP Sreekanth, which, like many others, do not have a set timeline and may or may not take off in the foreseeable future. A film that began and then faded away is Ram Dhulipudi’s Nee Sigovaregu, which may or may not be revived. But besides these films that will have Shivanna in the lead, the actor will also be seen in prominent roles in Ram Charan’s Peddi, as well as the much-awaited Rajinikanth-led Jailer 2.