Dayal Padmanabhan is an Indian film director, writer, and producer who works primarily in Kannada cinema. Born on 14 June 1970 in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, to Padmanabhan, an employee of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, and his wife Radha, he grew up facing financial hardship after his father's early death. He completed a Diploma in Civil Engineering from Muthiah Polytechnic, Chidambaram, and later earned a B.E. from B.M. Sreenivasaiah College of Engineering, Bengaluru. He worked as a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, from 1988 to 2002 before transitioning to Kannada cinema. He entered the Kannada industry as a writer in 2000, penning the script for Om Ganesh. His directorial debut OK Saar OK came in 2003, followed by acclaimed films like Baa Baro Rasika (2004), Yeshwanth (2005), and his comedy-thriller Circus (2009). He has won the Karnataka State Award twice and had a film selected for Indian Panorama at the 50th International Film Festival of India (Golden Jubilee edition). He is married to Meena Varadaraj and has two children. In 2017, he participated in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 5.

Two-time Karnataka State Award-winning Kannada filmmaker; known for films Baa Baro Rasika (2004), Circus (2009), and Yeshwanth (2005); Indian Panorama selection at IFFI (Golden Jubilee edition).

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