Sadhu Kokila

Born March 24, 1966 · Bangalore, Karnataka, India

**Sahaya Sheelan Shadrach** (born 24 March 1966), universally known by his stage name **Sadhu Kokila**, is an incredibly prolific Indian comedian, musician, actor, film director, and producer who primarily works in Kannada cinema. With a career spanning over three decades, he is one of the most recognizable and beloved comedic character actors in the Sandalwood industry, known for his impeccable comic timing and eccentric on-screen personas. Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, into a family with a deep musical background (his father was a violinist for the Karnataka Police Department, and his mother and sister were playback singers), he naturally gravitated toward music in his early life. He studied at St. Joseph's Indian High School and was mentored in music by Kasturi Shankar. He began his cinematic career not as an actor, but as a composer and music director. His foray into acting happened somewhat accidentally. During the production of the 1993 cult classic thriller *Shhh!*, director Upendra gave him the screen name "Sadhu Kokila" and cast him in a cameo role as "Kung Fu" Kannan. This appearance opened the floodgates for his acting career, leading him to transition into full-time acting, where he specialized in comic relief roles. Beyond acting in hundreds of films (including standout comedic performances in blockbusters like *Om* (1995), *Aishwarya* (2006), *Super* (2010), *Googly* (2013), *Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari* (2014), and *Raajakumara* (2017)), Sadhu Kokila has also directed ten Kannada films. Most notably, he helmed the massive commercial hit *Raktha Kanneeru* (2003) starring Upendra. A true multi-hyphenate, his talents have been heavily decorated across multiple disciplines. As a composer, he is a two-time recipient of the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director for his work on *Rakshasa* (2005) and *Inthi Ninna Preethiya* (2008). As an actor, he has won multiple SIIMA and IIFA Utsavam Awards for Best Comedian (Kannada) for films like *Yaare Koogadali* (2012) and *Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari* (2014).