Pragathi Rishab Shetty
- Costume Designer
- Actress
Pragathi Rishab Shetty is an Indian costume designer and actress who has emerged as a distinctive creative voice within the Kannada film industry. A fashion stylist by training and temperament, she hails from the culturally rich region of coastal Karnataka, where traditions of Bhuta Kola and folklore run deep through community life. Before entering cinema, Pragathi worked in the information technology sector in Bengaluru, navigating the corporate world while nurturing a passion for design and creative expression. Her early career in IT provided stability, yet the pull toward artistry remained strong, waiting for the right moment to fully surface.
The shift from technology to cinema came after her marriage to actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty. What began as personal support for her husband's projects gradually evolved into a professional partnership that would define her career trajectory. Pragathi made her debut as a costume designer with the period thriller Bell Bottom, where she collaborated with Rishab for the first time. The film required careful attention to 1980s aesthetics, and her work demonstrated an instinct for blending historical accuracy with cinematic storytelling. She continued building her reputation with Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale, where her costumes added layers of authenticity to characters grounded in everyday rural life. These early projects revealed her ability to serve story over spectacle, a quality that would become her signature.
Her most significant professional achievement arrived with Kantara, the 2022 folklore drama that became a cultural phenomenon. As costume designer, Pragathi helped shape the film's visual identity, crafting garments that honored the spiritual and earthbound world of coastal Karnataka's tribal communities. The authenticity she brought to each frame resonated deeply with audiences familiar with the traditions depicted onscreen. Building on that success, she took on the even more ambitious task of designing costumes for Kantara: A Legend, Chapter 1, a prequel set in an ancient era steeped in mythology and ritual. For this project, Pragathi conducted over six months of research, studying temple sculptures, traditional paintings, and classical dance forms to ensure that every garment felt rooted in history yet original to the film's vision. She worked closely with artisans specializing in armour, crowns, jewelry, and leather, collaborating to turn conceptual sketches into tangible, tradition-rich art. Every costume was custom-made rather than sourced ready-made, a painstaking process that prioritized cultural sensitivity and historical accuracy. In a particularly personal touch, she incorporated her mother's 30-year-old saree into a queen's costume, blending emotional resonance with design authenticity. Pragathi also appeared briefly onscreen in the film, playing a woman in the Bangra sequence, quietly stepping in front of the camera while maintaining her primary role behind the scenes.
Pragathi's creative philosophy centers on making costumes that serve as cultural reference points for future filmmakers, especially those attempting period dramas rooted in Indian folklore. Her meticulous research process and commitment to authenticity have set a new standard in Kannada cinema, proving that costume design is as integral to storytelling as performance or cinematography. At the premiere of Kantara: A Legend, Chapter 1, her emotional response to audience praise captured widespread media attention, reflecting the depth of her investment in the work. Today, she is recognized not only for her association with Rishab Shetty but as a creative force in her own right, celebrated for her painstaking attention to detail, cultural integrity, and collaborative spirit. Balancing her professional commitments with family life, Pragathi continues to shape the visual language of Kannada cinema, one carefully researched, lovingly crafted garment at a time.
The shift from technology to cinema came after her marriage to actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty. What began as personal support for her husband's projects gradually evolved into a professional partnership that would define her career trajectory. Pragathi made her debut as a costume designer with the period thriller Bell Bottom, where she collaborated with Rishab for the first time. The film required careful attention to 1980s aesthetics, and her work demonstrated an instinct for blending historical accuracy with cinematic storytelling. She continued building her reputation with Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale, where her costumes added layers of authenticity to characters grounded in everyday rural life. These early projects revealed her ability to serve story over spectacle, a quality that would become her signature.
Her most significant professional achievement arrived with Kantara, the 2022 folklore drama that became a cultural phenomenon. As costume designer, Pragathi helped shape the film's visual identity, crafting garments that honored the spiritual and earthbound world of coastal Karnataka's tribal communities. The authenticity she brought to each frame resonated deeply with audiences familiar with the traditions depicted onscreen. Building on that success, she took on the even more ambitious task of designing costumes for Kantara: A Legend, Chapter 1, a prequel set in an ancient era steeped in mythology and ritual. For this project, Pragathi conducted over six months of research, studying temple sculptures, traditional paintings, and classical dance forms to ensure that every garment felt rooted in history yet original to the film's vision. She worked closely with artisans specializing in armour, crowns, jewelry, and leather, collaborating to turn conceptual sketches into tangible, tradition-rich art. Every costume was custom-made rather than sourced ready-made, a painstaking process that prioritized cultural sensitivity and historical accuracy. In a particularly personal touch, she incorporated her mother's 30-year-old saree into a queen's costume, blending emotional resonance with design authenticity. Pragathi also appeared briefly onscreen in the film, playing a woman in the Bangra sequence, quietly stepping in front of the camera while maintaining her primary role behind the scenes.
Pragathi's creative philosophy centers on making costumes that serve as cultural reference points for future filmmakers, especially those attempting period dramas rooted in Indian folklore. Her meticulous research process and commitment to authenticity have set a new standard in Kannada cinema, proving that costume design is as integral to storytelling as performance or cinematography. At the premiere of Kantara: A Legend, Chapter 1, her emotional response to audience praise captured widespread media attention, reflecting the depth of her investment in the work. Today, she is recognized not only for her association with Rishab Shetty but as a creative force in her own right, celebrated for her painstaking attention to detail, cultural integrity, and collaborative spirit. Balancing her professional commitments with family life, Pragathi continues to shape the visual language of Kannada cinema, one carefully researched, lovingly crafted garment at a time.
