Sunil Shetty (Tulu: ಸುನಿಲ್ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ) (born 11 August 1961) is an Indian film actor and film producer who is mainly active in Bollywood. He was born in Mulki, near Mangalore.
Sunil Shetty made his acting debut in the 1992 film Balwaan which was a moderate success. His first major hit was the 1994 action thriller Mohra. Later that year he also had another hit with the romantic drama film Dilwale and the comedy film Gopi Kishan where he played a double role. He went on to star in many films throughout the 1990s mostly in the action genre. In 1997 he was critically acclaimed for his role in the war epic Border (1997). He went onto play patriotic roles in films such as Refugee (2001), Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003) and LOC: Kargil (2003). He also ventured into comedy roles in hit films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006). He won his first Filmfare award for Best Villain in 2000 for his performance in Dhadkan.
He later turned producer, setting up a production company called Popcorn Motion Pictures Ltd, which produced the films Khel (2003), Rakht: What If You Can See the Future and Bhagam Bhag (2006). In recent years he has mostly appeared in multi-star hit films such as Kaante (2002), Main Hoon Na (2004), Dus (2005) and Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007). Besides bollywood he appeared in his first English-language film Don't Stop Dreaming in 2007 and a Tamil-language film 12B. He also made a special appearance in a dance sequence in the Malayalam movie Kakkakuyil in 2001.
Born on Aug 11, 1961 in Mangalore, Karnataka, Sunil Shetty changed his name to Suniel Shetty, hoping that his bollywood fortunes will change. Though he is a successful businessman, Sunil Shetty's love for acting in Bollywood movies brought him to Hindi films, rather than his native state’s Kannada films. He is known as ‘Anna Don’ in the film industry and his love for helping others is widely appreciated.
Sunil Shetty is also a successful businessman. He owns some hotels and a clothing boutique named 'MISCHIEF'. He has also launched a company called Popcorn Entertainment to promote bollywood actors touring abroad for stage shows and/or concerts.
