Kannada film industry veteran Dwarakish dies of cardiac arrest at 81

The industry veteran is known for his comedy roles in films such as Mayor Muthanna, Bhakta Kumbara, Guru Shishyaru and more.

Published on: Apr 16, 2024, 15:45:20 IST

By Yamini C S

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Dwarakish, veteran Kannada film actor, producer and director, renowned for his comedy roles, passed away at his residence on Tuesday at the age of 81 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Dwarakish was 81 years old and died of a cardiac arrest.

Dwarakish had acted in around 100 films and worked as a director and producer on around 50 of them. He had made his Kannada film debut in 1966 with the co-production of 'Mamatheya Bandhana' under the Thunga Pictures banner.

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As a producer, he achieved great success with his movie 'Mayor Muthanna', which starred Kannada idol Dr Rajkumar and Bharathi in lead roles. Dwarakish is also known for introducing Kishore Kumar, a noted Hindi playback singer, to the Kannada movie industry with the song 'Aadu aata Aadu'.

He had a diploma in mechanical engineering. Dwarakish was born on August 19, 1942, in Hunsur, Mysuru district.

Several notable figures from the film industry as well as politicians expressed their condolences at the actor-producer-director's passing.

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“Dwarakish brought life to roles as a comedian, hero and supporting actor. Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said not only as an artist, his unparalleled service to the Kannada film industry as a producer and director is unforgettable,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said.

Echoing the words, former CM and JD(S) second-in-command HD Kumaraswamy said, “He was an asset to Kannada cinema due to his versatile talent, who acted with great actors like Dr Rajkumar, Dr Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh.”

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Others including BJP state President and Shikaripura MLA B Y Vijayendra, and former CM Basavaraj Bommai also shared condolence messages.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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