Dattanna

Biography:

Actor Harihar Gundurao Dattatreya, also referred to as Dattanna, was born in 1942 and has acted in over 204 motion pictures and a number of plays. He held academic posts at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and worked as an aeronautical engineer in the Indian Air Force for more than 20 years in addition to his acting career. His most well-known part is in Kannada cinema, where he primarily plays supporting roles.

He has received two National cinematic Award – Special Jury Awards, one National Film Award – Best Supporting Actor, and two Karnataka State Film Awards in his nearly three-decade cinematic career. His roles in Bettada Jeeva (2011), Bharath Stores (2012), and Munnudi (2000) have made him well-known.

Harihar Gundurao and Venkamma welcomed Dattatreya into the world in 1942 at Chitradurga, in the former Kingdom of Mysore of British India (now in the state of Karnataka). He has six siblings: H. G. Suryanarayana Rao, an English professor at the University of Mysore; H. G. Somashekar Rao, a writer and sometimes performer; and H. G. Venkatesh, a physicist at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

In Chitradurga, Dattatreya completed his schooling. In 1958, he achieved the first spot in his matriculation exams, and in 1959, he finished his pre-university course with the second rank. 1964 saw him graduate from University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore, with a degree in electrical engineering.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, awarded him a master’s degree in electrical communication engineering in 1978. In the SSLC state board exams (1955), he was the first and last student at Chitradurga school to receive the top rank.

Dattatreya enlisted in the Indian Air Force as a Commissioned Officer in the Technical Branch following her graduation in 1964. After receiving training at Air Force Technical College in Bangalore, he studied for his postgraduate degree at IISc in Bangalore. In 1984, he completed a project on “Management and Advance Technologies” and was awarded a diploma.

Before retiring as a Wing Commander, he spent more than 20 years serving in the IAF. After retiring, he worked as the Deputy General Manager and Principal of the Staff Training College at the Management Academy of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Dattatreya started performing in plays while attending UVCE for her engineering degree.[6] In 1988, he made his Kannada film debut in Aasphota directed by T. S. Nagabharana, for which he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He has since starred in a number of multi-award winning movies, including Munnudi (2000) and Kraurya (1996). He won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the latter movie.

At the 51st National Film Awards, Dattatreya’s performance in Mouni (2003) earned him a National Film Award – Special Jury Award. His portrayal of Govinda Shetty, a grocery store owner who is severely impacted as the Union Government boosts foreign direct investment in the retail sector

In the 2012 film Bharath Stores received high praise from critics. At the 60th National Film Awards, he took home his second National Special Jury Award.[10] Additionally, in 2013 he received the Best Actor award from the International Film Festival in Fiji.