Chetan Kumar is a Kannada film actor, public intellectual, and political activist. He is well known for starring in the Kannada-language films Aa Dinagalu (2007), Myna (2013), and Noorondu Nenapu (2017). Chetan Kumar
Wiki/Biography
Chetan Kumar Ahimsa was born on Thursday, 24 February 1983 (age 39 years; as of 2022), in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He pursued his primary education at Marist High School in Chicago.
Childhood picture of Chetan Kumar and his younger brother, Ashok Kumar, sporting the jerseys of Chicago’s two professional baseball teams—White Sox and Cubs, in the backyard of their house in Chicago
While growing up, he loved listening to the stories of the Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’ narrated to him by his grandparents. In fact, the actor even portrayed his favourite character, Bheema, in the Mahabharata play during his childhood.
Childhood picture of Chetan Kumar as Bheema, along with his brother, Ashok Kumar as Krishna in a play
Thereafter, he enrolled himself at Yale University, US, studied South Asian Studies with an Emphasis on Comparative Theater Studies in BA. In 2004, he studied South Indian Oral Traditions — Living (the) Kannada Nataka. Via a self-proposed project on Indian theatre, the research student Chetan Kumar documented the dialectics of caste, class, and gender in various village/folk and urban forms of South Indian drama. During his college days, he actively participated in events as a choreographer, instructor, stage dancer, and actor. He graduated from the university in 2005 with a distinction. In 2005, Kumar returned to Karnataka, after receiving a 12-month Fulbright Scholarship post his graduation at Yale University and worked in conjunction with the National School of Drama, Bangalore. Chetan extensively travelled across Karnataka while accompanying various drama troupes after earning his 12-month scholarship.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7”
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
His parents, who work and reside in the US, hail from Karnataka, India. Chetan’s younger brother, Ashok Kumar, is a UW Madison graduate, Oxford University PhD, and Fulbright Scholar, who works as an economics teacher at Birkbeck, University of London, UK.
Chetan Kumar with his parents
Wife & Children
On February 2, 2020, Chetan Kumar got married to his long-time girlfriend Megha, an activist and engineer from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, in a low key court marriage ceremony in Bengaluru. Later, Megha pursued a law degree in human rights.
Chetan Kumar and Megha at sub-registrar’s office for their wedding through the Special Marriage Act
In the presence of underprivileged kids and senior citizens, they hosted a small celebration at Bengaluru’s Vinoba Bhave Ashram, which the couple renovated collaboratively instead of spending their well-earned money on a big, fat, lavish wedding. Additionally, the activist couple took vows led by the Indian transgender activist, Akkai Padmashali.
Chetan Kumar and Megha at Bengaluru’s Vinoba Bhave Ashram taking vows led by the Indian transgender activist, Akkai Padmashali
The guests were treated with tribal performances like the Budakattu-Adivasi dance, vachanas, and Sufi music, at the wedding.
Relationships/Affairs
In 2015, Chetan Kumar and Megha made the acquaintance at a social gathering in Bengaluru, where a few mutual friends introduced them. It was the passion for social work, which brought the actor and engineer together. Megha was associated with the social work wing at her company and had been working towards the education of underprivileged children, fundraising for flood relief victims, and spearheading environmentally-conscious initiatives. In an interview, while talking about the beginning of his relationship with Megha, he said,
Our friendship began to grow stronger because of our shared priorities and overlapping dreams of an equitable, ideal world.”
Religion/Religious Views
Chetan Kumar and Megha undertook a court marriage because neither of them believed in religious rituals.
Career
Film
Chetan Kumar made his film debut with the 2007 Indian Kannada language crime drama ‘Aa Dinagalu’ in which he played the lead role of Chethan Naayak. For the film, Kumar received Udaya TV’s Best Debut Actor Award.
Aa Dinagalu (2007)
His second film Birugaali (2009) was not a commercially hit film, which garnered him rave reviews from the critics for his performance. In the 2013 Indian Kannada language romance drama film ‘Myna,’ Chetan Kumar played the protagonist of Satya, who, after being arrested for 34 serial murder cases, shares his life story with the police. Based on a real-life incident, the film garnered numerous accolades and massive appreciation from the audience.
He played the lead role of Shreyas Bahadur in the 2017 Indian Kannada collegiate film ‘Noorondu Nenapu.’ Set in 1980, the film centres around Shreyas, a new boy in college, who befriends the most notorious gang in college.
Noorondu Nenapu (2017)
In 2017, he appeared in the Indian Kannada action thriller film ‘Athiratha’ in which he played the role of a news reporter named Akash, who invests a minister’s scandal and uses the media to bring a social impact. Other films in which he starred include Suryakaanti (2010), Dashamukha (2012), and Ranam (2021).
Theatre
Before venturing into the film industry, he worked in numerous street theatre and directed plays that talked about social issues like women’s empowerment. As a theatre artist, he is associated with Bangalore-based theatre group Vistarahas and has acted in the Kannada plays ‘Sethu Maadhavana Sallaapa’ and ‘Sooryasthadinda Sooryodayadavarage’ in May 2006 and August 2006. Set in the 1980s Bangalore underworld, the film centres around the business magnate Chetan who struggles to save his love, Mallika, from his conspiring father.
Controversy
On February 16 2022, he was arrested allegedly for his objectionable tweet against a Karnataka High Court judge, Justice Krishna Dixit, who was part of a bench hearing the batch of petitions for the 2022 Karnataka Hijab row. In January 2022, a dispute had erupted in Karnataka after some Muslim students, who demanded to be allowed to wear the Hijab in classrooms in a junior college, were denied entry to classes. MN Anucheth, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), revealed the actor was charged under sections 505 (2) and 504 of the IPC. While re-posting his 2020 tweet, which read,
This week KA (Karnataka) High Court Justice Krishna Dixit grantd (granted) pre-arrest bail to rape-accused Rakesh B claiming ‘it is unbecoming of Indian woman to sleep after rape; that is not way women react when they are ravished.’ What’s ‘unbecoming’ is 21st c (century) misogyny of this judiciary Dixit fossil.”
He added,
This is a tweet I wrote nearly two years ago regarding a Karnataka High Court decision. Justice Krishna Dixit made such disturbing comments in a rape case. Now this same judge is determining whether #hijabs are acceptable or not in govt schools. Does he have the clarity required?”
A picture featuring Chetan Kumar’s tweet against Justice Krishna Dixit
Philanthropy
A genuine vein of philanthropy has always existed in Chetan Kumar. His maternal grandparents actively participated in the anti-colonial movements, the independence movement in India. His paternal family consisted of labour leaders and MPs who belonged to the Communist Party of India-Marxist. In an interview, he said,
I came to India, not for money, not to become a film star, which I haven’t, not for any kind of name, I came to do social work…Social work and activism is where my passion lies, to improve the lives of people.”
Since September 2005, Chetan has been serving as Rural School Instructor, Mullur, Karnataka. He is associated with Amnesty International India, a global movement with more than 7 million supporters, members and activists who work to protect human rights. Additionally, he has been teaching critical thinking and analytical skills at Vinayaka Gnana Vidya Shale, a K-10 village school near Mysore, Karnataka. He has opposed the Congress government for tribal people on various issues like against the steel bridge and against the Hindi imposition. He was actively in involved in the Mahadayi river case. In 2018, Chetan took part in the protest staged by the Diddalli Tribals. The protest erupted after police and the local administration evacuated the Kuduva tribals who were living in the Diddalli forest in Madikeri for generations. The protestors demanded that government take necessary action and provide them with shelter.
Chetan Kumar, along with other protestors, at Diddalli forest in Madikeri
Facts/Trivia
- Apart from acting, he is also trained in modern dance, mono acting, instrumental. Additionally, he is proficient in performing Indian classical music (Carnatic) and jazz on the saxophone.
- The eco-friendly couple, Chetan and Megha, distributed handmade wedding cards with imbibed Marigold plant seeds. As a return gift, handed out copies of the Indian constitution.
- In an interview, he revealed that he desires to learn many languages. He said,
I have a thing for learning languages. I’ve learnt a bit of Urdu, Telugu and a couple more. I would like to learn new languages, regardless of which language industry I am working in.”