Suneel Puranik (A.K.A. Sunil Puranik) is a National Film Award-winning director; and film and tele-serial actor, director and producer, predominantly working in the Kannada Film and Television Industry. He was the President of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and has served on the jury of the National Film Awards and the International Film Festival of India.
Suneel was born and brought up in Dharwad. He attended Junior Technical School, Hubli and Karnataka High School, Dharwad, obtained Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from K.H.K Institute, Dharwad and pursued professional training in film making from Adarsha Film Institute, headed at the time by Girish Kasaravalli. Suneel married Suhasini in 1991 and has two sons Sagar Puranik (born 1992), and Sameer Puranik (born 2000).
Suneel started his career in film industry as an actor in tele-serial. His first project was Venkataswami Pranaya Prasangagalu directed by M. S. Sathyu.
Thereafter he assisted V. Somashekhar in directing movie named Ranaranga and Parashuram. Chirasmarane a Kannada TV serial about freedom fighters from Karnataka such as, Mundaragi Bhimarao, Naragunda Babasaheb, Surapura Venkatappa Nayaka, Sangolli Rayanna, Kitturu Chennamma, etc telecasted by Doordarshan was directed by him 1997. In 2010, he made his directorial debuts with film âÂÂGurukulaâ about the Gurukula, an education system of our ancient India which won Best ChildrenâÂÂs Movie Award State Award in 2009-2010.
He has held various positions in the Kannada Film and Television Industry
Suneel has been awarded numerous awards and accolades for his work. The most important ones are as follows: