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Suniel Shetty
Born	Sunil Shetty[1] 11 August 1961 (age 58)[2] Mulki, Mysore State, India (present-day Karnataka)
Other names	Anna
Occupation	Actor, entrepreneur, TV host, film producer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Mana Shetty (m. 1991)
Children	2, including Athiya Shetty

Suniel Shetty (born 11 August 1961) is an Indian film actor, producer and entrepreneur who is predominantly active in Bollywood films. In a career spanning more than 25 years, he has acted in more than 110 films. His major works have been action and comedy films.^[3] He has received a Filmfare Award out of five nominations for the film Dhadkan.^[4]

He is the owner of the production house Popcorn Entertainment Private Limited.^[5] He has produced a number of films including Khel – No Ordinary Game, Rakht and Bhagam Bhag, under the banner of Popcorn Motion Pictures.

Career

Suniel Shetty’s debut film was Balwaan (1992), opposite Divya Bharti. The film was a hit and launched his career as an action hero.^{[citation needed]} He went on to play the protagonist in various successful movies such as Balwaan (1992), Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Dilwale (1994), Anth (1994), Mohra (1994), Gopi Kishan (1994), Krishna (1996), Sapoot (1996), Rakshak (1996), Border (1997), Bhai (1997). He was involved primarily in action films throughout the 1990s, playing the male protagonist in most of the movies he acted in during the decade. From early 2000, he mainly appeared in multi-starrers in across genres. He also starred opposite Isha Koppikar in Arjun Rampal‘s debut movie Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001). Hera Pheri (2000), Dhadkan (2000), Jungle (2000),Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001), Main Hoon Na (2004), Welcome (2007), and Red Alert: The War Within (2010).^[6] In 2014, he changed the spelling of his name from Sunil to Suniel for numerological reasons.^[7] Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), One Two Three (2008) and De Dana Dan (2009). He even played negative roles in movies, including Dhadkan (2000), Khel – No Ordinary Game (2003), Baaz: A Bird in Danger (2003), Main Hoon Na (2004), Rudraksh (2004), Cash, No Problem and A Gentleman (2017).

Along with Mukesh Chhabra, he has also started an online venture ‘F…the Couch’ (FTC). Shetty is the captain of the Mumbai Heroes cricket team in Celebrity cricket league and owns the restaurants Mischief Dining Bar and Club H20, in Mumbai. He has also featured as a host for India’s leading fitness reality shows Biggest Loser Jeetega and India’s Asli Champion Hai Dam?.

In 2005, on the eve of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi’s 61st birth anniversary, the Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress honoured Shetty with Rajiv Gandhi award

Shetty won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain in 2001 for Dhadkan.^[8] In 2009, Shetty bagged South Asian International Film Festival’s Best Actor Award for his role in Naxalites based Indian movie Red Alert.

The actor has entrepreneurial ventures as well. Shetty produced films such as Khel – No Ordinary Game, Rakht and Bhagam Bhag under the banner of Popcorn Motion Pictures. Along with Mukesh Chhabra, one of the best-known names in the casting fraternity, Shetty has also started an online venture called ‘F…the Couch’ (FTC).

The FTC is a digital platform that discovers new talent in Bollywood provides a platform to new artists to make a place for themselves in Bollywood. Apart from being part of this project, Shetty has also been actively involved in realty and restaurant business.

Sunil Shetty also acted in his second Tamil Blockbuster Darbar with Superstar Rajinikanth in 2020.

Non-film work

FITTR

In 2019, Suneil invested an undisclosed amount in a Pune-based online health and fitness start up Fittr. Its founder Jitendra Chouksey launched Fittr in January 2016 as a community on Facebook to address the challenges in the fitness industry, Fittr now claims of over 100,000 fitness transformations, and a highly engaged community of 550,000 members. Its mobile app, Fittr, has received more than 500,000 downloads since September 2018.^[9]

Television

Shetty has appeared as a host for India’s leading fitness reality shows Biggest Loser Jeetega on Sahara One.^[10] and India’s Asli Champion Hai dam? on &TV.

Restaurant

He is a well known name in restaurant business in Mumbai. The Actor owns Mischief Dining Bar and Club H20, in Mumbai. Both the places are running successfully.^[11] [12] He co-owns the water adventure park attached to cafe H20. He closed down Mischief Bar in 2010, and instead opened a new restaurant called Little Italy. The restaurant was first owned by his father when it was an Udipi restaurant, Suniel then changed the restaurant into a bar, and then back into a restaurant with the different name with his father’s blessings.^[13]

Celebrity cricket league

Suniel Shetty is captain of the Mumbai Heroes cricket team in the Celebrity cricket league.^[14] He is also the co-founder of Ferit Cricket Bash that was launched in December 2018.^[15]

Hiru Golden Film Awards

Suniel Shetty was participant in the Hiru Golden Film Awards 2014 and 2016 in Sri Lanka as a special guest along with other Bollywood actors such as Anil Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, and actresses such as Bipasha Basu, and Neha Dhupia.^[16]

R House

He started his luxury furniture and home lifestyle store in Mumbai, Worli in 2013 with his wife Mana.^[17]

Personal life

Suniel Shetty was born in a Mangalorean Tulu speaking ^[2][18] family on 11 August 1961 in Mulki, Mangalore India.^[2]

He is married to Mana Shetty and has two children, actress Athiya Shetty (born 5 November 1992)^[19] and Ahan (born 15 January 1996).^[20] Athiya made her acting debut opposite actor Aditya Pancholi‘s son Sooraj Pancholi in Hero (2015).

Mana runs an NGO for under-privileged kids.^[21] Shetty has a Black Belt in Kickboxing.^[22] He owns clothing boutiques as well as restaurants specialising in Udupi cuisine.^[23]

Ahan Shetty has been signed by Sajid Nadiadwala for his debut film, Tadap.^[24]

Awards

Winner

• 2001: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Dhadkan^[25]
• 2001: Zee Cine Best Supporting Actor Award for Dhadkan^[26]
• 2005: GIFA Best Villain Award for Main Hoon Na
• 2008: SAIFF Best Actor Award for Red Alert: The War Within^[27]
• 2011: Stardust Search Light Award for Best Actor for Red Alert: The War Within^[28]

Nominated

• 1995: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Dilwale^[25]
• 1998: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Border^[25]
• 1998: Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actor for Border
• 2001: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Refugee^[25]
• 2001: IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award for Refugee^[29]
• 2001: IIFA Best Villain Award for Dhadkan^[30]
• 2004: IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award for Qayamat: City Under Threat^[29]
• 2005: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Main Hoon Na
• 2005: IIFA Best Villain Award for Main Hoon Na^[