Mangalore-based theatre artist and film actor Karthik Rao Kordale is best known for his breakout performance in the acclaimed Kannada mystery thriller Rangitaranga (2015), which earned him an IIFA Utsavam Award nomination for Best Performance in a Comic Role that year. He started out in Tulu theatre, and subsequently gained wider recognition as an anchor in local television programs before venturing into cinema.

Since rising to prominence in mainstream Kannada cinema, Karthik has appeared in a number of popular films, notable among which are the comedy-thriller Operation Alamelamma (2017), the romantic comedy Rajaratha (2018) and Loudspeaker (2018). His 2019 release includes Damayanthi, directed by Navarasan.