Atharvaa Murali is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. The son of actor Murali and grandson of director S. Siddalingaiah, Atharvaa began his acting career with Baana Kaathadi (2010). He then garnered critical acclaim for his performance as a youngster suffering from delusion in the romantic thriller Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal (2012), before signing on to feature in Bala's period film Paradesi (2013). His role as a rural villager held as a slave in a tea plantation became his breakthrough performance, earning Atharvaa a Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil.

Siddalingaiah was an Indian film director, scriptwriter and producer who worked mainly in the Kannada films. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, and the industry knew him as a master of social themes and rural subject matter. He was one of the most commercially successful directors in the Kannada industry. He began his film career in 1964 as a director with Mayor Muthanna (1969). In a career that spanned 30 years, he directed over 20 films.