
Veteran Kannada actor, producer and director Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath, popularly known as Dwarakish, is no more. The veteran star died of cardiac arrest. He was 81 and breathed his last in Bengaluru.
On the news reaching the entertainment circle, Rajinikanth was the first to take to X and share his grief. Mourning the loss of his “dear friend”, Rajinikanth called Dwarakish’s sudden demise “painful” and paid condolences to the actor’s family. His post on X read, “The demise of my long time dear friend Dwarakesh is very painful to me..starting his career as a comedian, he raised himself up to being a big producer and director.. fond memories come to my mind..my heartfelt condolences to his family and dear ones (sic).”
Soon after, Indian PM Narendra Modi expressed grief over the demise of Dwarakish. He wrote, “Dwarakish Ji’s contributions to the film industry are immense, spanning decades of unforgettable performances and groundbreaking films. His ability to captivate audiences and support young talent gave a glimpse of his multifaceted role in shaping Kannada cinema. Saddened by his passing away. We will always remember his extraordinary journey. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that the late actor brought life to roles as a comedian, hero and supporting actor. Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said that Dwarakish’s service to the Kannada film industry as a producer and director is “unforgettable”. “He was an asset to Kannada cinema due to his versatile talent, who acted with great actors like Dr Rajkumar, Dr Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh," Kumaraswamy wrote.
Dwarakish was best known for his comedy roles. He made his debut in showbiz in 1966 by co-producing Mamatheya Bandhana under the banner of Thunga Pictures. However, he rose to fame after he was widely appreciated as a producer for his movie Mayor Muthanna starring Kannada matinee idol Dr Rajkumar and Bharathi in the lead roles. He had an illustrious career as he acted inabout 100 films and produced and directed around 50 movies.