Abhaya Simha is a two-time National Film Award-winning filmmaker. An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). In his career spanning over 13 years, he has directed four feature films (Gubbachigalu - 2008, Shikari - 2012, Sakkare - 2014 and Paddayi - 2018) and over 300 video films of various lengths on environmental issues and cultural heritage.