H. G. Dattatreya

Harihar Gundurao Dattatreya (born 1942), popularly known as Dattanna, is an Indian actor who has appeared in more than 204 films and several plays. Alongside his career as an actor, he served in the Indian Air Force as an Aeronautical Engineer for over 20 years and also occupied academic positions with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). He is best known for his work in Kannada cinema, in which he appears in mostly supporting roles. In a film career of almost three decades, he has won two National Film Award – Special Jury Awards, one National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and two Karnataka State Film Awards. He is known for his performances in Munnudi (2000), Bettada Jeeva (2011) and Bharath Stores (2012).

"Dattanna" redirects here. For Indian politician, see Bandaru Dattatreya.

Wing Commander
H. G. Dattatreya
Dattatreya in 2013
Personal details
Born
Harihar Gundurao Dattatreya

(1942-04-20) 20 April 1942
Chitradurga, Kingdom of Mysore, British India
RelativesH. G. Somashekar Rao (brother)
Alma materUVCE, Bangalore
Air Force Technical College
Indian Institute of Science
OccupationActor
Military service
AllegianceIndia
Branch/service Indian Air Force
Years of service1965-1986
Rank Wing Commander

Early life and education

Dattatreya was born in 1942 in Chitradurga, in the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore of British India (now in Karnataka) to Harihar Gundurao and Venkamma.[1] He has six siblings; brothers H. G. Venkatesh, was a physicist at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur; H. G. Suryanarayana Rao, is a professor of English in University of Mysore; and H. G. Somashekar Rao, a writer and an occasional actor. Dattatreya completed his education in Chitradurga.[2] He secured the first rank in his matriculation exams in 1958, and second rank on completion of his pre-university course in 1959. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore, in 1964. In 1978, he obtained a master's degree in electrical communication engineering from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.[3] He was the first and last person getting first rank in SSLC state board exams (1955) in Chitradurga school.

Career

In Indian Air Force

After graduating in 1964, Dattatreya joined the Indian Air Force, as a Commissioned Officer in its Technical Branch. He subsequently trained at Air Force Technical College, Bangalore and while studying his post graduation in IISc, Bangalore, he received a certificate on completion of a project on "Management and Advance Technologies", in 1984.[4] He served the IAF for over 20 years, before retiring as a Wing Commander. Upon retirement, he served in the Management Academy of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Staff Training College, as its Deputy General Manager and Principal.[5]

As actor

Dattatreya began acting in plays in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and while studying engineering in college at UVCE.[6] His first appearance in a Kannada film came in T. S. Nagabharana's Aasphota (1988), which earned him the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.[5] Since then, he went on to appear in several films that have won multiple awards such as Kraurya (1996) and Munnudi (2000). His performance in the latter film earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor.[7][8]

Dattatreya's performances in Mouni (2003) won him a National Film Award – Special Jury Award at the 51st National Film Awards.[9] In the 2012 released film Bharath Stores, his role as Govinda Shetty, a Grocery shop owner hit hard when the Union Government increases foreign direct investment in the retail sector, won widespread critical acclaim. He won his second National Special Jury Award at the 60th National Film Awards.[10] He was also awarded the Best Actor at the International Film Festival in Fiji in 2013.[11][12]

P. Sheshadri (middle) and H. G. Dattatreya (right) addressing a press conference during the 42nd International Film Festival of India, in Panaji, Goa

Partial filmography

Awards and nominations
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References
  1. "Dattatreya H G". Geni. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  2. "Dattanna on Flashback". indiaglitz.com. 27 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  3. "Dattatreya H G". Indian Institute of Science. IISc, Bangalore, Alumni Website. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  4. "CASES WHERE UNDERTAKING / PAN / BANK / ADDRESS DETAILS NOT RECEIVED" (PDF). Indian Air Force. indianairforce.nic.in. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  5. "Sandesha awards on Feb 24". Deccan Herald. 16 February 2005. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  6. "When old friends meet again". The Hindu. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  7. "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  8. "'Mussanje' bags best film award". The Hindu. 29 May 2001. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  9. "51st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  10. "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  11. "India – Fiji Relations" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs (India). Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  12. Dhwani, Desai (27 September 2013). "Dattanna bags Best Actor award at international film festival". The Times of India. timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  13. "The ones who made a mark". The Hindu. 6 July 2001. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
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