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Ever since Kantara Chapter 1 was declared a box office blockbuster, Rishab Shetty has been touring across the country with his wife and creative collaborator, Pragathi Shetty. Pragathi isn’t just the actor-director-writer’s life partner—she’s also the costume designer behind the film’s distinctive look. She recently accompanied Rishab to the success meet in Delhi and has been by his side since 2014, both in life and art.
Their story began much like a film sequence itself. In 2014, Rishab’s Ulidavaru Kandanthe, co-starring his close friend Rakshit Shetty, had just hit theatres. Pragathi, a huge fan of Rakshit, went to see the film with her friends—unaware that fate had other plans. Rishab, present at the screening, stood aside as fans rushed to click pictures with Rakshit and the film’s leading lady.
“I was pushed to a corner. In that moment, I heard someone behind me say in our native language, ‘Boys in our industry are doing good work,’” Rishab recalled in an interview with Zoom. “I turned around and saw her. While everyone else was posing with the stars, she was the only one who asked to take a picture with me. I think we still have that picture.”
Soon after, the two connected on Facebook and quickly realised something special was brewing. “Since we belong to the same community, our love story wasn’t too complicated,” Pragathi shared. “Everything just fell into place—and within ten months, we were married.”
Pragathi fondly described Rishab’s version of romance: “His idea of a date is to take me on a drive and narrate his film stories.” To which Rishab laughed, “Back then she didn’t give much feedback, but now she never misses a chance to criticise.”
Pragathi revealed that five out of their ten years together went into bringing Kantara to life. During that time, she managed their children alone while also working on the film’s costumes.
“I always tell him he’s God’s child,” she said. “Only divine grace could make it possible for him to act, write, and direct something of this scale. He barely slept two hours during post-production. During the shoot, he would wake up at 3 a.m. to train before heading to set. All his chosen locations were remote and challenging.”
Shooting Kantara, she admitted, was no easy feat. “We would travel for two hours, trek to reach the locations, and carry costumes and jewellery with us. But Rishab never compromised on authenticity, no matter the logistics.”
When asked if Rishab’s intense commitment to work ever bothers her, Pragathi smiled and said, “I am a mature woman, and I completely understand how gifted he is. I want him to do more such work—it’s rare for people to get opportunities like these.”
When asked who apologises first after a fight, Rishab answered softly: “It’s always me. I have never been able to give enough time to my wife and kids, so I end up saying sorry first.”
He calls Pragathi his lady luck. “Everything started falling into place after she came into my life,” he said. “She changed everything.”
Pragathi, originally from Karnataka’s Udupi district, holds a degree in software engineering from Sahyadri College in Shivamogga. She transitioned from IT to art and design, eventually becoming the costume designer for Kantara—the biggest project of her career so far.
Before Kantara, she had assisted Rishab on Bell Bottom (2019). The couple, who married in 2017, are now proud parents to two children—son Ranvit and daughter Radhya, born in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
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