[3] Sharath had an inclination towards cricket and theatre as a child, and "dramatise[d] Bhagat Singh on stage when in school."
He "used to read a lot of plays written by people like Kambar" and rated himself as a "fairly good singer too.
Sharath also obtained a master's degree in English from Bangalore's National College, where he also went on to work as lecturer.
[4] After a while, "boredom and monotony" led Sharath to quit and taking to acting as a full-time profession starting with stage.
He performed in Vasamsi Jirnani, based on a Marathi-language play, and Nanna Thangige Ondu Gandu Kodi among others.
[3] In an interview to Deccan Herald in 2003, he recalled, "I was offered the role of Huliya for which I was supposed to sport a funny haircut.