Prashanth G Shastry (Actor Sanjay)

🪔 About

Prashanth G Shastry, known by his screen names Actor Sanjay, Sanjay Bhargav (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam), and Sumanth (Kannada), is a distinguished Indian classical dancer specializing in Bharatanatyam, primarily based in Bengaluru, India. Born into a family deeply rooted in the arts, he received his initial Bharatanatyam training from his mother, the late Guru Prabhavathi Gopal Shastry, who founded Gayathri Nrithyalaya in Bangalore and later co-founded Naatyakalakshetra. He further honed his skills under the tutelage of esteemed gurus Lalitha Srinivasan and Sri V P Dhananjayans. Shastry is a versatile artist, excelling as a performer, choreographer, and actor. His dance career is marked by numerous accolades, including the Singaramani award, the President's Gold Medal in 1990 for his Tandavam performance, the Mayura Nartana Ellavarasan in 2012, and various Shivarathri Natyanjali awards, along with a Vishaarad in Bharatanatyam. In recognition of his significant contributions to dance, he was honored with the Karnataka State Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Prashasti by the BBMP in 2020. Beyond his classical dance pursuits, Prashanth G Shastry has an extensive career in the film and television industry, having acted as a lead in numerous South Indian movies and television series across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi languages. He is currently a lead actor in the ETV Telugu series "Manasanta Nuvve," for which he received the Best Character Award at the Telugu Swathi Awards in 2022. In 2005, Prashanth G Shastry co-founded Naatyakalakshetra in Chennai and Bangalore with his mother, continuing her legacy of dance education. The institution has since trained many students. He also organizes the annual Nrithya Utsava dance festival, dedicated to his late father, G M Gopal. His wife, Sunitha, is also a dancer, and they have performed together, notably at the Chidambaram Natyanjali in 2012. His sisters, Shilpa and Gayathri, are also recognized Bharatanatyam dancers. Awards & Honours: Singaramani, PRESIDENTS Gold Medal for Tandavam (1990), Mayura Nartana Ellavarasan (2012), Shivarathri Natyanjali awards, Vishaarad in Bharatanatyam, Karnataka State Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Prashasti (2020), Best character award by the Telugu Swathi awards (2022).