Gilli Nata, whose real name is Malavalli Nataraj, is a Kannada actor and comedian born on 5 April 1996 in Matadapura village, Malavalli Taluk, Mandya district, Karnataka. He grew up in a humble farming family and completed his schooling locally, later pursuing a two-year ITI course. Despite his father's wish for a stable career, Nataraj moved to Bengaluru to pursue entertainment, initially working behind the scenes in film and television sets and as an assistant director. He gained public recognition as the first runner-up of Comedy Kiladigalu Season 4 on Zee Kannada, where his rhyming punchlines and Mandya dialect won audiences over. He went on to appear in Dance Karnataka Dance and Bharjari Bachelors, earning the Best Entertainer Award from Zee Kannada. Known for his viral web-series 'Nalli Mule' and comedy sketches rooted in everyday rural life, he became a household name in Karnataka. His biggest milestone came in January 2026 when he won Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12, taking home the trophy, ₹50 lakh in prize money, and a Maruti Suzuki car. He has also appeared in Kannada films including Langoti Man (2024), Super Hit (2024), and 1st Day 1st Show (2025), and in Challenging Star Darshan's film The Devil.

Winning Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12; viral web-series 'Nalli Mule'; rural Mandya-dialect comedy skits; runner-up in Comedy Kiladigalu Season 4; role in the Kannada film The Devil (2025).

Frequently Asked