Vishnuvardhan no more

Vishnuvardhan, a star of Southern Indian cinema, died of a heart attack in Mysore, Karnataka in the early hours of Wednesday at 59. The state government declared theaters, studios and schools closed for the day as a mark of respect for the actor, who was cremated with state honors.

Born Sampath Kumar in Mysore in 1950, he changed his name to Vishnuvardhan on the suggestion of Puttanna Kanagal, who directed his debut film Nagarahavu in 1972.

After the late Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan was considered the most popular actor in the history of Kannada-language cinema with a large fan following. Vishnuvardhan won the South Indian Filmare award and the Karnataka state award for best actor seven times each in his career. His 200th film Aptha Rakshaka, the sequel to Apthamitra, is due to open this year.

Variety