Prem (director)

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title: "Prem (director)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1976-births", "living-people", "kannada-film-directors", "male-actors-in-kannada-cinema", "kannada-language-playback-singers", "kannada-language-lyricists", "people-from-mandya-district", "21st-century-indian-people", "film-directors-from-bengaluru", "indian-male-playback-singers", "singers-from-bengaluru", "male-actors-from-bengaluru", "indian-male-film-actors"] description: "Indian film director in Kannada cinema" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prem_(director)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian film director in Kannada cinema ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Prem
image	Prem (Kannada film director).jpg
caption	Prem in October 2020
birth_name	Kiran Kumar
birth_date
birth_place	Maddur, Mandya, Karnataka, India
years active	1998–present
occupation	Film director, actor, playback singer, lyricist, Film producer
spouse
children	1
website
othername	Jogi Prem
::

| name = Prem | image = Prem (Kannada film director).jpg | caption = Prem in October 2020 | birth_name = Kiran Kumar | birth_date = | birth_place = Maddur, Mandya, Karnataka, India | years active = 1998–present | occupation = Film director, actor, playback singer, lyricist, Film producer | spouse = | children = 1 | website = | othername = Jogi Prem

Kiran Kumar (born 22 October 1976), known by his screen name Prem, is an Indian film director in Kannada cinema.

Personal life

Prem was born as Kiran Kumar on 22 October 1976 in Maddur, in the Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka, to Rajappa and Bhagyamma. He is married to actress-turned-producer Rakshita and they have a son named Surya.

Career

Prem started his career as assistant director on the film Nishkarsha (1993), working with Sunil Kumar Desai, while he was pursuing his pre-university course. Upon completion of the film, he returned to his hometown Mandya to complete the course before returning to Bangalore. He proceeded to work as an associate director with G. K. Mudduraj on Rayara Maga (1994) and Kannamuchchale; Dorai–Bhagavan; and with A. R. Babu on Hello Yama. Producer Anekal Balaraju offered him an opportunity to direct his first film Kariya (2003) independently.

Kariya was a gangster romance film starring Darshan in the lead. The film was critically acclaimed and appreciated by the audience. Prem was lauded for his casting of real life big dons to act in his movie. The soundtrack and cinematography were also widely appreciated. Darshan played a gangster struggling to express his love. The same year, Prem directed the light-hearted romantic film Excuse Me with Ajay Rao, Sunil Raoh and Ramya in the lead roles. The film turned out to be a musical hit with many of its songs composed by R. P. Patnaik becoming chart busters.

In 2005, Prem came out with his biggest blockbuster film, Jogi, starring Shivarajkumar, Jennifer Kotwal and Arundhati Nag in the lead roles. The film made record collections at the box-office. The mother-son sentiment theme was widely applauded and was considered as Shivarajkumar's biggest comeback film.

Following three back-to-back super hit films, Prem tried his hand at acting besides directing the film Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide in 2008. The film's pre-release promotions received much media attention and expectations of the film were high. Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat made her debut in South Indian films with a special appearance. The film was widely popular for its melodious soundtracks.

Prem next directed the film Raaj the Showman in 2010. It starred Puneeth Rajkumar and Priyanka Kothari. It is remembered mostly for its soundtrack by V. Harikrishna and cinematography. The movie was an average grosser at the box office despite the presence of the heavyweights Puneeth Rajkumar and V. Harikrishna.

Prem, for the first time without himself directing, accepted the lead role in the controversial film titled Prem Adda, a remake of the Tamil blockbuster hit Subramaniapuram with music by V. Harikrishna and directed by Mahesh Babu. The film made an average collection in box office. Under his production house Premdreams he produced and acted in the movie DK in 2014.

Prem's Ek Love Ya has been released. The movie stars debutant Raanna and is produced by Rakshita Prem.

His upcoming Pan Indian film, KD: The Devil, starring Dhruva Sarja, Sanjay Dutt, and Shilpa Shetty is slated for a release in 2025.

Filmography

::data[format=table]

Year	Film	Director	Actor	Singer	Lyricist
1998	Hello Yama
2003	Kariya
Excuse Me
2005	Jogi
2007	Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide
2009	Raaj the Showman
2011	Jogayya
2012	Prem Adda
2013	Dasavala
2015	DK
2018	The Villain
Ambi Ning Vayassaytho
2022	Ek Love Ya
2026
::

Discography

::data[format=table]

Year	Song(s)	Film	Composer	Lyricist	Notes
2003	"Brahma Vishnu Shiva"	Excuse Me	R. P. Patnaik	V. Nagendra Prasad	Sang with chorus
"Thottilu Thugolige"	Co-sang with Madhukar
2005	"Beduvenu Varavannu"	Jogi	Gurukiran	Prem	Solo
"Hodi Maga"	Co-sang with Gurukiran,Vijay Yesudas and Gururaj Hoskote
2007	"Magalu Doddavaladalu"	Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide	R. P. Patnaik	Co-sang with C. Ashwath and Kalpana
"Ee Preethi Yeke"	Solo
2008	"Nalle Nalle"	Marujanma	Sriimurali	Solo
2009	"Raajaa Heluvagella"	Raaj the Showman	V. Harikrishna	Kaviraj	Co-sang with Shreya Ghoshal
2011	"Odole"	Jogayya	V. Harikrishna	Prem	Co-sang with Shreya Ghoshal
2012	"Baadigege"	Prem Adda	V. Harikrishna	Co-sang with Shreya Ghoshal
2013	"Davva Davva"	Jataayu	Vinay Chandra	Kaviraj	Solo
2014	"Dooradondu"	Muddu Manase	Vineeth Raj Menon	Santhu	Solo
2015	"Sesamma"	DK	Arjun Janya	Prem	Co-sang with Mamta Sharma

| | "Banda Banda" | Sudarshan | Solo | | | | | 2016 | "Alemarriyaagi Aleyo Thirkai" | Half Mentlu | Bharath BJ | Lakshmi Dinesh | Solo | | 2017 | "Ee Mannali" | Mass Leader | Veer Samarth | V. Nagendra Prasad | Co-sang with Chintan Vikas and Govind Kurnool | | 2018 | "Marali Baradorige" | Parasanga | Harsha Vardhan Raj | N K Lolakshi | Solo | | "Tick Tick Tick" | The Villain | Arjun Janya | Prem | Co-sang with Kailash Kher, Vijay Prakash, and Siddharth Basrur | | | "Love Aagoythe" | Solo | | | | | | "Rana Rana Raavana" | Co-sang with Shreya Ghoshal | | | | | | 2019 | "Panchatantra" | Panchatantra | V. Harikrishna | Yogaraj Bhat | Solo | | "Amma Amma Ammaa" | Sinnga | Dharma Vish | V. Nagendra Prasad | Solo | | | 2020 | "Belakondu" | Naanu Matthu Gunda | Karthik Sharma | Rohith Raman | Solo | | 2021 | "Helu Yaake" | Ek Love Ya | Arjun Janya | Prem | Solo | | "Edebaditha Joragide" | Manjunath BS | Co-sang with Anuradha Bhat | | | | | 2022 | "O Ramayya" | Kandhidi Nodana | Sreedar Kashyap | Ravipoojar | Solo | | "Geleya Title Track" | Geleya | MS Thyagaraj | MS Thyagaraj | Solo | | | 2023 | "Amma Emba Hesare" | Parimala D'Souza | Christopher Jayson B | K. Kalyan | Solo | ::

References

References

1. "Birthday Special: Top 5 movies of director Prem".
2. "Director Prem's next to be a PAN India project, fans grow curious about the film's hero".
3. (26 December 2015). "Weekend with Ramesh Season 2 – Episode 1 – December 26, 2015 – Full Episode". Zee Kannada.
4. (11 January 2004). "Promising director".
5. "Whenever prem and I collaborate, he experiments on me: Shivrajkumar". The Times of India.
6. "I follow shivanna and ignore the attacks". Bangalore Mirror.
7. "Director prem returns to acting". The Times of India.
8. "I appreciate salman khans love for south indian films: prem". Cinema Express.
9. "Muddu Manase (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)".
10. "Prem sings sentimental song for Singha". Cinema Express.

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