This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2017) |
Ambareesh | |
---|---|
Minister of Housing, Government of Karnataka | |
In office 28 May 2013 – 17 September 2016 | |
Preceded by | V. Somanna |
Succeeded by | M. Krishnappa |
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting | |
In office 24 October 2006 –15 February 2007 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Succeeded by | Choudhury Mohan Jatua S. Jagathrakshakan |
Member of parliament,Lok Sabha | |
In office 1998–2009 | |
Preceded by | Krishna |
Succeeded by | N. Chaluvaraya Swamy |
Constituency | Mandya |
Personal details | |
Born | Malavalli Huchche Gowda Amarnath 29 May 1952 Doddarasinakere,Mandya,Mysore State,India |
Died | 24 November 2018 66) Bangalore,Karnataka,India | (aged
Political party | Indian National Congress (1994–1996,1999–2018) |
Other political affiliations | Janata Dal (1996–1999) |
Spouse | |
Children | Abhishek (son) |
Profession |
|
Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), [1] 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 Kannada cinema's "triumvirate" as its most celebrated actor. [2] [3]
With his debut in Puttanna Kanagal's Naagarahaavu (1972), Ambareesh's acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic and supporting characters. After establishing himself as a lead actor portraying rebellious characters on screen in several commercially successful films, he earned the moniker Rebel Star, similar to Krishnam Raju in Telugu cinema. [4] He also earned the nickname Mandyada Gandu (transl. Man of Mandya) [5] and continues to hold a matinee idol status in the popular culture of Karnataka.
After entering politics in 1994, Ambareesh became a three-time member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament representing Mandya, first from Janata Dal and the latter two times from the Indian National Congress, a member of which he remained till his death. During the third term, he briefly served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, between October 2006 and February 2007, as part of the First Manmohan Singh ministry. Between 2013 and 2016, he was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and served as the Minister of Housing during the time as part of the Siddaramaiah cabinet. [6]
Besides winning many State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South during his acting career, Ambareesh was honoured with the honorary doctorate by the Karnatak University in 2013. [7] He is also a recipient of NTR National Award, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South and Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award, all awarded recognizing lifetime achievements and contribution to cinema. Having suffered from a breathing problem in 2014, Ambareesh died four years later. [8]
Ambareesh was born on 29 May 1952 in Doddarasinakere village of Mandya district in the erstwhile Mysore State (now Karnataka). He was named "Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath", and was the sixth of seven children to Hucchegowda and Padmamma. His granduncle was the violinist, Chowdiah. [9] Ambareesh completed his schooling in Mandya before moving to Mysore for higher studies. [10]
While the eminent Kannada film director Puttanna Kanagal was in search of a new face to play a brief antagonist role for his upcoming film, one of Ambareesh's close friends, Sangram Singh, suggested his name for the screen test much against his wishes. At his screen test, he was asked to walk in a certain fashion, utter a dialogue and toss a cigarette in his mouth. Impressed, Kanagal cast him in his 1972 film Naagarahaavu . [11] The film also saw the debut of Vishnuvardhan, another actor who would go on to become one of Kannada cinema's most popular actors.
Ambareesh appeared in about 208 films, including other films of Kanagal such as Paduvaaralli Pandavaru , Shubhamangala , Masanada Hoovu and Ranganayaki (1981). As of 2010 [update] , Ambareesh had acted in most films as lead in Kannada films, surpassing Rajkumar's record of 206 films as a lead actor and Vishnuvardhan's record of 230 films (including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam films) as a lead actor. The record has not been broken yet. He also was a supporting actor many times at the beginning of their careers.
Ambareesh played the angry young man of the 1980s, and several films were tailor-made accordingly. The earliest of them was the political satire Antha (1981), directed by Rajendra Singh Babu and remade into Hindi and Tamil. This controversial film was the first in India to depict politicians and government officials as corrupt and villainous. Chakravyuha and New Delhi were made on the same lines, the first remade into Hindi as Inquilaab , starring Amitabh Bachchan and the second a remake of the Malayalam hit of the same name. His other notable films include Ranganayaki , Tony , Rani Maharani , Olavina Udugore , Hrudaya Haadithu , Hongkongnalli Agent Amar , Mannina Doni and Odahuttidavaru . His performance in Masanada Hoovu , Elu Suttina Kote and Sreekumaran Thampi's Malayalam film Gaanam (1982) received critical acclaim. Thampi cast Ambareesh after being impressed with his performance in Ranganayaki. Despite turning out to be a commercial failure, the film went on to win the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. [12]
Ambareesh also showed great performance in Mamateya Madilu, Hrudaya Haadithu, Elu Sutinaa Kote and Mouna Raga. He also acted with legend Rajkumar. He is well known as Mandyada Gandu, Kaliyuga Karna (for his generosity), and Rebel Star. He was awarded the State award for best actor for Antha and best supporting role for Masanada Hoovu, NTR Award by Andhra Pradesh Government, Film Fare best actor award for Olavina Udugore and Film Fare Award (lifetime achievement award). He was the first Kannada actor to inaugurate the world-famous Mysore Dasara festival organized by the government of Karnataka. He also won the Karnataka Government's Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award in 2011.
Ambareesh joined the Indian National Congress (INC) ahead of the assembly election in 1994. He campaigned for the party in the election after having been "too late to be given a ticket". However, he was met with a lukewarm reception from the public having been "greeted with slippers and rotten vegetables at a couple of public meetings." He quit the party two years later after being denied a ticket to contest the 1996 general election. [13] Ambareesh subsequently joined the Janata Dal and contested the 1998 general election from Mandya. He won the seat upon polling 431,439 votes against 250,916 for the INC candidate. [14]
In 1999, Ambareesh rejoined the INC and contested in five elections since. [15] He served as minister of state for Information and Broadcasting in the 14th Lok Sabha, but resigned over his dissatisfaction with the Cauvery Dispute Tribunal award, though the resignation was not formally accepted. He was defeated in the May 2009 General Elections. He helped in elections for H.D. Kumaraswamy (in Kanakapura parliament election in the 1990s), S.M. Krishna (1999) and K.R. Pete Krishna.
During the course of his public life, he held the following positions:
Ambareesh developed a friendship with actress Sumalatha after they first met at the sets of the Kannada film Aahuti in 1984. They grew closer during 1987 when they worked together again with New Delhi . After he proposed marriage to her two years later, [16] they married on 8 December 1991. [17] Their only child, Abhishek, is an actor. [18]
Ambareesh was noted for his friendship, mostly with his contemporaries of the 1980s and across film industries of South India. They included Rajinikanth, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suhasini Maniratnam, Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati, R. Sarathkumar, Radhika, Jayaram, Naresh, Arjun Sarja, Ramesh Aravind among others. Calling themselves the "Class of the '80s", Ambareesh hosted their third reunion in 2017. [19] [20] He also maintained a close relationship with Vishnuvardhan ever since they made their debuts together in films with Naagarahaavu in 1972, till the latter's death in 2009. [21] [22]
Ambareesh developed breathing problems in 2014 and was hospitalized frequently. In March that year, he was taken to Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. [23] On 24 November 2018, he was taken to a private hospital in Bangalore after he suffered from a cardiac arrest at his residence. Efforts to revive him failed and was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. (IST). [24] Following his death, Ambareesh's remains were taken to Sree Kanteerava Stadium where political leaders, members of the film industry and fans were allowed to pay homage the following day. It attracted a total of around 100,000 people. [25] The remains were airlifted to Sir M. Visvesvaraya Stadium in Mandya at 5 p.m. (IST) that day. [26] After having briefly kept for public viewing there, they were flown back to Bangalore on 26 November and carried in a cortege on a procession from Sree Kanteerava Stadium to Kanteerava Studios, for a distance of 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi), where his funeral was held. [27] Ambareesh was cremated with full state honours and also received a 21-gun salute. The final rites were performed by his son, Abhishek, at 5:55 p.m. (IST) that evening. Ambareesh was cremated next to the memorial of his contemporary and friend, Rajkumar. [28]
Ambareesh's death was met with an outpouring of grief from politicians, members of the South Indian film industry and fans from Karnataka. The Government of Karnataka declared a three-day mourning period as a mark of respect. [29] Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his death and said, "[Ambareesh was] a strong voice for Karnataka's welfare, at the state and central level". [30] Chief Minister of Karnataka H. D. Kumaraswamy termed that his death ended "an era of love and affection in Kannada film industry" while adding that "[Ambareesh] was a rebel who was loved by all. He has carved a unique place in both politics and films". [31] Other politicians who expressed grief included former Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and B. S. Yeddyurappa, [32] State cabinet ministers, R. V. Deshpande and U. T. Khader, [33] and former colleagues at the INC, G. Parameshwara, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Ramya among others. [32]
Actor Rajinikanth remarked, "My friendship with Ambareesh is of over 40 years and deeply saddened by his death. Everyone will have a few close friends. But Ambareesh, I think, had over 100 close friends. He lived like a king till the day he died and all he earned were people." [34] Mammootty recalled Ambareesh as "one of [his] first real friends" while condoling his death. [35] Mohanlal termed his death "heartbreaking". [36] Kamal Haasan offered "heartfelt condolences" and called Ambareesh his "friend for 42 years". [37] Other film personalities who expressed grief included Amitabh Bachchan, [38] R. Sarathkumar, Khushbu Sundar, [39] Rajendra Singh Babu, Shiva Rajkumar, Sudeep, Darshan and Yogaraj Bhat among others. [40]
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj, better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered a cultural icon and holds a matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora, among whom he is popularly called as Nata Saarvabhouma, Bangarada Manushya, Vara Nata, Gaana Gandharva, Rasikara Raja, Kannada Kanteerava and Rajanna/Annavru. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1983 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. He is the only lead actor to win National Award for Playback singing. His 39 movies have been remade 63 times in 9 languages by 34 actors making him the first actor whose movies were remade more than fifty times and the first actor whose movies were remade in nine languages. He was the first actor in India to enact a role which was based on James Bond in a full-fledged manner. The success of his movie Jedara Bale is credited to have widely inspired a Desi bond genre in other Indian film industries. On the occasion of the "Centenary of Indian Cinema" in April 2013, Forbes included his performance in Bangaarada Manushya on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Upon his death, The New York Times had described him as one of India's most popular movie stars.
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. Kannada cinema is based in Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore. The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film released in the Kannada language. It was also the first film starring Subbaiah Naidu and Tripuramba, and the first screened in the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom. It was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji, who in 1932 founded South India Movietone in Bangalore.
Shubraveshti Ramaswamiah Seetharama Sharma, known popularly as S. R. Puttanna Kanagal, was an Indian filmmaker known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is often considered one of Indian cinema's most influential filmmakers.
Sampath Kumar, known by his stage name Vishnuvardhan, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Kannada cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam language films. Vishnuvardhan has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 220 films. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, and holds the status of a matinée idol among the Kannada diaspora. He is popularly called as Sahasa Simha, Dada and The Angry Young Man of Kannada Cinema. Vishnuvardhan's contributions to Kannada cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of Karnataka honoured him with the Rajyothsava Prashasthi in 1990 and the Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his contributions to Kannada cinema. He was called The Phoenix of Indian Cinema. In 2008, a poll conducted by CNN-IBN listed Vishnuvardhan as the most popular star in the Kannada film industry.
Divya Spandana, better known by her screen name Ramya, is an Indian actress, producer and politician. She served as the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She primarily works in Kannada, and Tamil language films. Ramya was the recipient of two Filmfare Awards South, an Udaya Award, and a Karnataka State Film Award.
Naagarahaavu (transl. Cobra) is a 1972 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on T. R. Subba Rao's three novels Nagarahavu, Ondu Gandu Eradu Hennu and Sarpa Mathsara, and starring Vishnuvardhan, Aarathi, K. S. Ashwath and Shubha. The supporting cast features Leelavathi, M. Jayashree, M. N. Lakshmi Devi, Ambareesh, Shivaram, Dheerendra Gopal, Lokanath and Vajramuni. The film has a musical score by Vijaya Bhaskar. Cinematography was done by Chittibabu.
Sumalatha Ambareesh is an Indian actress, politician who was served as Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka from May 2019 to 04 June 2024. She has acted in more than 220 films in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. She gained popularity in Telugu cinema and Malayalam cinema and later married Kannada actor-politician Ambareesh and has a son Abhishek Gowda.
Masanada Hoovu is a 1985 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on T. R. Subba Rao's novel of the same name. It introcues Aparna and stars Jayanthi, Ambareesh, Vijayalakshmi Singh and Hema Choudhary in key roles. Puttanna Kanagal passed away before filming was complete. His friend and long time associate, director K. S. L. Swamy, completed the film. Masanada Hoovu won multiple awards at the 1985-86 Karnataka State Film Awards including Best Actress (Jayanthi) and Best Supporting Actor.
Ranganayaki is a 1981 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal starring Aarathi, Ambareesh, Ramakrishna, Ashok, Rajanand. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ashwattha.
Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, also known mononymously as Bharathi, is an Indian actress known primarily for her work in Kannada cinema and television serials. She began her career in 1966, as a lead actress, with the Kannada movie Love in Bangalore though Dudde Doddappa was her first release. In a career spanning over 50 years, Bharathi has appeared in 150 films. Apart from 100 films in Kannada, she has also acted in a handful of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. Through the course of her career, she became known for her portrayal of roles of mythological and historical characters, and also that of a student, a romantic and a rural belle. Her role in Sri Krishnadevaraya (1970) as Chennambike won her the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress. In 2017, she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. She has the distinction of having paired with Dr.Rajkumar as a lead actress in all the 26 movies she acted with him and is also paired with him the most no. of times in those movies where he played multiple roles.
Karnataka State Film Awards are the most notable and prestigious film awards given for Kannada film industry in Karnataka, India. These are considered the highest awards for Kannada language films. They are given annually by the Government of Karnataka to honor the best talent and to provide encouragement and incentive to the Kannada film industry.
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada Language films.
Hunsur Ramachandra Bhagyachandra, known mononymously as Bhargava, is an Indian film director who worked primarily in Kannada cinema. Originally a producer, he came to be considered one of the best directors in Kannada cinema, and he was awarded the Puttanna Kanagal Award, the highest award in Kannada cinema, in 2012. He has directed 50 films.
Gangadhar (1936–2003) was an Indian actor known for his work in Kannada cinema. A character actor 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 (1969), Sharapanjara (1971) and Seetha (1970) were noted. In addition to the former two, he starred in Katha Sangama (1975) and Ranganayaki (1981), all of which were directed by Puttanna Kanagal. Other films he starred in include Nanna Thamma (1970), Aliya Geleya (1971) and Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta (1972).
The following is the list of Award winners for the Karnataka State Puttanna Kanagal award. Kanagal was among the front runners in Kannada cinema's most successful film directors. In his memory and honor, this award is presented to the directors every year during the Karnataka State Awards function.
The Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award, instituted in 2011 for the 2008–09 Karnataka State Film Awards is an award given by the government of Karnataka to long-serving film personalities in Kannada cinema. The award previously called Lifetime Contribution to Kannada Cinema Award, was named Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award in honour of Vishnuvardhan, one of Kannada cinema's actors, after his demise in 2009. The award carries a purse of ₹200,000 and a gold-plated plaque.
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honors Kannada language films.
Vijaya Naarasimha was an Indian lyricist who worked in Kannada cinema.
Antha is a 1981 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu, based on H. K. Ananth Rao's serialised story of the same name published for the weekly magazine Sudha. The film stars Ambareesh and Lakshmi, while Shakti Prasad, Lakshman, Vajramuni, Tiger Prabhakar, Sundar Krishna Urs appear in supporting roles. The plot revolves around an honest police officer (Ambareesh) who goes on to impersonate his lookalike, a dreaded criminal, to expose the nexus between the underworld and the establishment.
Venkatappa Somashekhar was an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter in Kannada and Malayalam cinema. In 40 years of his career as a director, he directed 49 films, including commercial successes such as Premada Kanike (1976), Shankar Guru (1978), Seetharamu (1979) and Chakravyuha (1983). Widely known for action-oriented movies, he was much sought as a hit-machine.