Versatile Kannada actor Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath aka Dwarakish passed away on April 16 due to cardiac arrest. The 81-year-old actor took his last breath in Bengaluru and the last rites will take place today.
Many expressed their grief over his death on social media, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He wrote on his official X handle, “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.” Even the Superstar Rajinikanth expressed his pain over his dear friend’s demise. “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..”, he posted on X.
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…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 16, 2024
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..
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) April 16, 2024
This veteran has served Sandalwood for a very long time, not only as an actor but as a director and producer as well. Dwarakish acted in many movies and established himself as a comedy actor. But he was a successful person behind the camera. His debut independent production, ‘Mayor Mutthana’, received huge appreciation. Later, he went into the direction of movies like ‘Manju’, ‘Jai Karnataka’, ‘Shruthi’ and many others.
The Sandalwood industry flourished because of Dwarakish. He is the one who brought Kishore Kumar into Kannada films. The former CM of Karnataka 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.” At the age of 80, he was honored for his contribution to Kannada films by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.
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