| Birth Date: | 22 November 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Bijapur, Karnataka, India |
| Occupation: | Film director, producer and writer |
| Years Active: | 1989–2007 2016–present |
Sunil Kumar Desai is an Indian film director, writer and producer, known for his work in Kannada cinema. In most of his films, Desai blends art and commercial cinema. He has written and directed Thrillers and Romance films. He has won the Karnataka State Film Awards (4 times) in the Best Screenplay & Best Dialogues categories. He has also won the Filmfare awards 4 times. Desai worked with South Indian musicians like Illayaraja, Hamsalekha and Gunasingh.
Desai was born in 1955 in Bijapur, Karnataka. He had his primary education in Bijapur and higher education in Pune. He started his film-career as an assistant to Kashinath, and later Suresh Heblikar.
Desai made film debut as a director with Tarka in 1989.[1] He subsequent films Nishkarsha, Beladingala Baale and Nammoora Mandara Hoove earned him a reputation as the most innovative and influential directors of the 1990s.[2] After three years of absence, Desai had announced that he have four films up his sleeve one of which is due at the end of 2019.[3]