Actor Dwarakish from Kannada Dies at the Age of 81, and Rajinikanth laments his “dear friend’s” “painful” passing

Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath, also known as Dwarakish, was a veteran Kannada actor, producer, and director who died suddenly on Tuesday due to a heart attack. He passed away in Bengaluru at the age of 81.

Rajinikanth used his X account, which was once Twitter, to express his grief at the passing of his “dear friend.” He expressed his sympathies to Dwarakish’s family and described his unexpected death as “painful.” “My heartfelt condolences to his family and dear ones (sic),” the statement said. “The demise of my longtime dear friend Dwarakesh is very painful to me..starting as a comedian, he raised himself to being a big producer and director..fond memories come to mind.”

D K Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, expressed his sorrow on Dwarakish’s passing and praised the actor for bringing humor, heroism, and supportive acting to their respective parts. H D Kumaraswamy, the former chief minister, said that Dwarakish’s contributions to the Kannada cinema industry as a director and producer are immeasurable. “His diverse skill set made him a valuable addition to Kannada cinema, as he collaborated with esteemed actors such as Dr. Rajkumar, Dr. Vishnuvardhan, and Ambareesh,” stated Kumaraswamy.

Dwarakish, who was born in Hunsur, Mysuru district, on August 19, 1942, was well recognized for his comedic parts. Dwarakish, a mechanical engineering diploma holder, made his screen debut in 1966 as a co-producer of “Mamatheya Bandhana” under the Thunga Pictures banner. But he became well-known after receiving praise for his production “Mayor Muthanna,” which starred Bharathi and Dr. Rajkumar, two matinee idols in Kannada, in the key parts.

Over the course of his career, Dwarakish produced and directed over 50 films in addition to acting in about 100 of them. With the song “Aadu Aata Aadu,” he also brought renowned Hindi playback vocalist Kishore Kumar to the Kannada film business.