Philip Karanja is a Kenyan film director, and a talented actor currently serving as one of the directors co-owner of the Phil-It production. The director was groomed to stardom by a popular TV show “Tahidi High”, a school-based television show on Citizen TV. However, after his exit from the show he decided to shelf his acting skills and focus more on doing magic behind the camera.
As a director, he was the brain behind popular shows such as”Realhouse Helps of Kawangware” where he directed the show for two years. Additionally, he is the director behind the most talked about street movie “Click Click Bang.”
Being one of the most successful film directors in the Kenyan film industry, we highlight his career journey, from acting to directing.
Philip Karanja Age and Place of Birth
Karanja was born in 1988, however, information about his place of birth is till unclear.
Education Background
He attended Kenya Institute of Mass Communication where he studied Film Production.
Philip Karanja Career
The Phil-It director established his film career as an actor back in 2008, earning a feature on Citizen’s TV show, Tahidi High. He went by the stage name Melvin and he was among the popular actors in the show.
However, despite being an actor, he was still working behind the scene as Mother-in-Law along with his close friend Abel Mutua was scripting both shows at the time. With the success he yielded from Tahidi High, Philip Karanja decided to stay off the cameras and instead be the guy behind the camera giving the directions.
After Tahidi High, Philip Karanja joined Protel Studios together with Abel Mutua where they worked on numerous shows including the popular “The Realhouse of Kawangware.” While he directed the show Abel Mutua scripted the show.
While working at the production house, the two decided it was time to create something of their own which led to the birth of Phil-It production. After registering it they started looking for a way to make the brand grow.
In this move, they approached the production house they were working with for a partnership. According to Abel Mutua, their request was to be accredited as a company in production instead of a person. However, Protel Studios turned down the offer and the two didn’t see any reason to stay at the company so they decided to leave the company.
On their leave, Njugush who was among the main character decided to follow them to their next destination which they didn’t have. After quitting, the journey became harder after they produced their first film and all media station rejected it and shelved the film. After tarmacking for two years, they eventually landed their first client, Maisha Magic for their sensational Series Sue na Jonnie starring Pascal Tokodi.
By this time Philip and his partners had pumped all their savings to projects that never went through. Sue and Jonnie opened doors for them as they got another gig to create the award-winning Hullabaloo Estate.
Currently, Phil-It Production which is owned by himself, Abel, and Bob Murithii is one of the top-rising production houses in Kenya. In 2022, the production house released a controversial series dubbed Click Click Bang with many people loving the originality of the film. The show screened in different venues in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Eldoret.
According to the trio, their audience should expect more content from the house that will be more exciting than Click Click Bang.
Wife and Kids
Philip is married to actress Cate Kamau who was featured in one of their series, Sue na Johnnie. The two are parents of two kids, a son, and a daughter.
Net Worth
His net worth is estimated to be over Ksh, 20 million. His wealth is the pure proceeds of his career and media business.