Veteran Actor Rajesh Passes Away At 89

Gifted Kannada actor Rajesh passed away on Saturday (February 19) morning. He was 89. The legendary actor was reportedly undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru due to age-related ailments and was admitted there on February 9.

Rajesh lost his wife recently and is survived by 5 children including actress Asha Rani, who is married to south actor Arjun Sarja. The renowned actor was popularly known as Kala Thapaswi.

Born as Vidya Sagar, the actor started off his acting career by joining a theatre troupe without the consent of his parents. Later, he had formed his own troupe Shakti Nataka Mandali, and a few of the many celebrated plays released under its name were Kittur Rani Chennama, Visha Sarpa, Nanda Deepa, Chandrodaya and Badavana Baalu.

Veteran director Hunsur Krishnamurthy introduced him in Veera Sankalpa (1964), which also became his debut film in Sandalwood. The 1968 film Namma Ooru was the turning point of his career as it turned into a blockbuster hit and catapulted him into the limelight. Though he appeared as the main lead in films in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he had later switched to character roles.

He had been a part of as many as 150 films. In 2014, he was bestowed with the Dr Rajkumar Cultural Endowment Award by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.

Suvarna Bhoomi (1969), Kappu Bilupu (1969), Punnya Purusha (1969), Brindavana (1969), Bhale Bhaskara (1971), Vishakanye (1972), Urvashi (1974), Kasturi Vijaya (1975), Maya Manushya (1976), Aatma Shakthi (1978), Vasanta Nilaya (1982) and Devara Mane (1985) are some of his other popular films.