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Gangadhar (1936–2003) was an Indian actor known for his work in
Kannada cinema Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
. A
character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
who transitioned from stage to films in the mid-1960s, he had a brief period of success when his performances in social-dramas such as ''
Gejje Pooje Gejje Pooje is a 1969 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal and produced by Rashi Brothers. The film stars Kalpana, Gangadhar and Leelavathi in the lead roles. ''Gejje'' means anklet and ''pooje'' means worship, but in the ...
'' (1969), ''
Sharapanjara ''Sharapanjara'' ( en, Cage of Arrows) is a 1971 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on a novel by Triveni of the same name, and starring Kalpana and Gangadhar in lead roles. This film is considered one of the bes ...
'' (1971) and ''
Seetha Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...
'' (1970) were noted. In addition to the former two, he starred in '' Katha Sangama'' (1975) and ''
Ranganayaki Ranganayaki, is the presiding goddess of the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam. Affectionately called ''Thayar'' ("Holy Mother" in Tamil), she is the consort of Ranganatha, the presiding deity of Srirangam. She is regarded as the manifest ...
'' (1981), all of which were directed by
Puttanna Kanagal Shubraveshti Ramaswamiah Seetharama Sharma (1 December 1933 – 5 June 1985), known popularly as S. R. Puttanna Kanagal, was an Indian filmmaker known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is often considered one of Kannada cinema's most influent ...
. Other films he starred in include ''
Nanna Thamma ''Nanna Thamma'' () is a 1970 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. Babu Rao and produced by K. V. Guptha. The film stars Rajkumar, Jayanthi, Gangadhar and R. Nagendra Rao. The film has musical score by Ghantasala. The movie is a remak ...
'' (1970), ''Aliya Geleya'' (1971) and ''
Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta ''Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta'' (Kannada: ಭಲೇ ಅದೃಷ್ಟವೋ ಅದೃಷ್ಟ) is a 1971 Indian Kannada film, directed by K. S. L. Swamy. The film stars Kalpana, B. V. Radha, Gangadhar and Srinath in the lead roles. The film has ...
'' (1972). Gangadhar returned to stage in the 1980s after film opportunities failed to come his way; poor health condition led him to retire from acting in 1995, when he was aged 59. Gangadhar appeared in a total of 80 Kannada-language films and was awarded the
Rajyotsava Award The Rajyotsava Prashasti or Rajyotsava Awards, the second highest civilian honor of the Karnataka state of India are conferred annually by the Karnataka Government on the occasion of the establishment of the state on 1 November celebrated as t ...
by the
government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...
in recognition of his contribution to Kannada cinema. He died in 2003, aged 67


Early life

Gangadhar was born in 1936. He obtained a
diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
in
mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
before beginning to work in
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence (military), defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manuf ...
(HAL) in
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. While there, he staged plays like ''Samsare Nauke'', ''Echamanayaka'' and ''Vijayotsava''. He had achieved considerable success during his time at the theatre group
Prabhat Kalavidaru Prabhath Kalavidaru ( kn, ಪ್ರಭಾತ್ ಕಲಾವಿದರು) is a theatre group based in Bangalore, India. Started in the year 1930, this group has staged many drama performances and is famous for its ballets. One of the most popular ...
.


Career

A makeup artist, Mahadevaiah, introduced Gangadhar to filmmaker
G. V. Iyer Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer (3 September 1917 – 21 December 2003) was a well-known Indian film director and actor. He was nicknamed "Kannada Bheeshma", and was the only person who made films in Sanskrit. His film ''Adi Shankaracharya'' (1983 ...
, who cast him in ''Chowkada Deepa'' (1969) in the lead role. He was credited as Rajendra Kumar for the film. The film also marked the debut of actor
Srinath Narayana Swamy (born 28 December 1944), known by his stage name Srinath, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Kannada cinema. He holds the position of vice-president of the Kannada television channel Udaya TV. He is ...
. The film was an attempt to blend into the hitherto onset of
Parallel cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
, but failed to perform well. However, Gangadhar's first release was the Rajkumar-starrer ''
Lagna Pathrike ''Lagna Pathrike'' () is a 1967 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. S. L. Swamy and produced by A. M. Sameevulla. The film stars Rajkumar and Jayanthi. The film has musical score by Vijaya Bhaskar. Cast * Rajkumar as Raghu * Jayan ...
'' (1967). He played a stage actor in the film. After ''Chowkada Deepa'', he starred in
Puttanna Kanagal Shubraveshti Ramaswamiah Seetharama Sharma (1 December 1933 – 5 June 1985), known popularly as S. R. Puttanna Kanagal, was an Indian filmmaker known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is often considered one of Kannada cinema's most influent ...
's successful film, ''
Gejje Pooje Gejje Pooje is a 1969 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal and produced by Rashi Brothers. The film stars Kalpana, Gangadhar and Leelavathi in the lead roles. ''Gejje'' means anklet and ''pooje'' means worship, but in the ...
'' (1969), alongside Kalpana. He subsequently appeared in ''
Nanna Thamma ''Nanna Thamma'' () is a 1970 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. Babu Rao and produced by K. V. Guptha. The film stars Rajkumar, Jayanthi, Gangadhar and R. Nagendra Rao. The film has musical score by Ghantasala. The movie is a remak ...
'' (1970), playing the brother of Rajkumar's character. He was paired opposite Kalpana again in ''
Seetha Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...
'' (1970). A popular collaboration during the time, the two went on to star together subsequently in ''Sotu Geddavalu'' (1971), ''
Yaava Janmada Maitri ''Yaava Janmada Maitri'' ( kn, ಯಾವ ಜನ್ಮದ ಮೈತ್ರಿ) is a 1972 Kannada language romantic drama film directed by Geethapriya and starring Gangadhar and Kalpana in the lead roles. The film is a direct screen adaptation o ...
'' (1972) and ''
Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta ''Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta'' (Kannada: ಭಲೇ ಅದೃಷ್ಟವೋ ಅದೃಷ್ಟ) is a 1971 Indian Kannada film, directed by K. S. L. Swamy. The film stars Kalpana, B. V. Radha, Gangadhar and Srinath in the lead roles. The film has ...
'' (1972). In ''Bandhavya'' (1972), he played a Raja, a thief and a brother of
K. S. Ashwath Karaganahalli Subbaraya Ashwathanarayana (25 March 1925 – 18 January 2010) was an Indian veteran actor who appeared in Kannada films He appeared in over 370 films during his five-decade-long career. His only memorial in the whole of Karnata ...
's character, who reforms himself in order to pursue his love interest. The year 1971 saw seven releases starring Gangadhar, including the hugely successful ''
Sharapanjara ''Sharapanjara'' ( en, Cage of Arrows) is a 1971 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on a novel by Triveni of the same name, and starring Kalpana and Gangadhar in lead roles. This film is considered one of the bes ...
'' and
B. R. Panthulu Budaguru Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu (26 July 1910 – 8 October 1974) was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is best known for directing films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. His most popular films are '' Karnan'', ''Veerapandiya ...
's ''Aliya Geleya''. Gangadhar's Satish played husband of a
postpartum psychosis Postpartum psychosis, also known as puerperal psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of severe mental illness shortly following childbirth. While symptoms of postpartum psychosis have long been observed in mothers, the phenomenon eventually came t ...
-affected Kaveri (played by Kalpana) in ''Sharapanjara'', who interns her to a mental asylum, before beginning to have an extramarital affair with an office colleague. Upon her return home after recovery, he mistreats her often reminding her of the illness. In 1972, Gangadhar had a total of four releases. He played Chennappa in Kanagal's
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme ...
'' Katha Sangama'' (1975), as the husband of a blind woman (played by Aarathi). Based on the novel ''Munithaayi'', the plot follows Chennappa's struggle after knowing that his wife is raped by
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
's character. The remainder of the 1970s and 1980s saw less opportunities coming Gangadhar's way. Film historian Hariharapura Manjunath attributes it to the emergence of other leading men during the time such as Vishnuvardhan,
Ambareesh Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), known by his screen name Ambareesh, was an Indian actor, media personality, politician from the state of Karnataka. Alongside Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, he is counted in ...
and
Shankar Nag Shankar Nagarakatte (9 November 1954 – 30 September 1990) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work in Kannada-language films and television. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, Nag is often referred to as ...
among others. Gangadhar made occasional screen appearances in the 1980s; one notable role came in '' Bhakta Prahlada'' (1983), in which he played the Hindu deity
Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes/ref> I ...
. In ''
Mutthu Ondu Mutthu ''Mutthu Ondu Mutthu'' ( kn, ಮುತ್ತು ಒಂದು ಮುತ್ತು) is a 1979 Indian Kannada film, directed by R. N. Jayagopal and is based on the novel ''Hoobaana'', written by M. K. Indira. The film stars Anant Nag, Roopa Chakr ...
'' (1979), he played the father of female lead's character; in ''
Jeevakke Jeeva ''Jeevakke Jeeva'' is a 1981 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. S. R. Das and produced by S. V. Srikanth. The film stars Anant Nag, Shankar Nag, Saritha and Dwarakish. The film has musical score by Rajan–Nagendra. Cast Soundtrack ...
'' (1981), a negative-shaded character; and in ''Karna'' (1986), the brother of Vishnuvardhan's character. During this time, Gangadhar returned to theatre and worked for a period of 12 years.


Personal life

Gangadhar's marriage to Kausalya produced two children, sons Ravikumar and Subramanya. The 1990s saw worsening health condition of Gangadhar as he was ailing from
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
, kidney-related illness and deteriorating eyesight. This was evident during the film of ''Aata Hudugata'' (1995), which was his last screen appearance. In one of his last public appearances, the annual Kannada Film Directors Association event at the
Chowdiah Memorial Hall Chowdiah Memorial Hall is a cultural centre in Bangalore which provides a home for musical and theatrical performances as well as competitions. Located in Malleswaram, it was built as a tribute to Tirumakudalu Chowdiah. After prolonged illness, Gangadhar died at 11:15 p.m. (
IST Ist or IST may refer to: Information Science and Technology * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Science and Technology * Graduate School / Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Japan * Graduate School ...
) on 27 December 2003 in Bangalore, aged 67.


Partial filmography


References


External links

* Indian male film actors Male actors in Kannada cinema 2003 deaths 1936 births 20th-century Indian male actors Male actors from Bangalore Indian male stage actors Male actors in Kannada theatre Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2003 {{india-film-actor-stub