Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 16: Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath, a prominent figure in the Kannada film industry as an actor, director, and producer, passed away due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday April 16. He was 81. 

Born on August 19, 1942, Dwarakish spent his formative years in Ittigegud, Mysuru. He received his early education at Sharada Vilas and Banumaiah’s School before graduating from CPC Polytechnic with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.

Following his education, Dwarakish, along with his brother, ventured into the automotive spare-parts business, establishing ‘Bharath Auto Spares’ in Gandhi Square, Mysuru. Despite his success in business, his passion for acting persisted. He frequently appealed to his maternal uncle, the renowned cinema director Hunusur Krishnamurthy, for an opportunity to showcase his acting talent. In 1963, he made the bold decision to leave the business world behind and pursue a career in film.

It was the acclaimed Kannada filmmaker C V Shivashankar who bestowed upon him the name ‘Dwarakish’. Notably, Dwarakish made history as the first Kannada producer to introduce singer Kishore Kumar to the Kannada film industry, resulting in the widespread popularity of the song ‘Aadu Aata Aadu’.