Veteran Kannada actor Kalatapasvi Rajesh dies at 89

Bengaluru: Veteran Kannada actor 'Kalatapasvi' Rajesh, who won several film awards throughout his career, passed away in Bengaluru today, at the age of 89. He was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru on February 9 due to respiratory and age-related ailments. 

Rajesh was kept on a ventilator there; however, his health deteriorated this morning. Several reports suggest that the final rites of the late actor will be arranged at his Vidyaranyapura residence in Bengaluru at 6 pm.

Born as Muni Chowdappa, in Bangalore on April 15, 1932, he was very much interested in acting and acted in plays since his school and college days. 

After entering cinema in the 1960s, he rose to popularity as `Kalatapasvi` Rajesh in the Kannada film industry.

He was the father of film actor Aasha Rani and the father-in-law of popular Kannada and Tamil actor Arjun Sarja. 

Rajesh had acted in over 150 films and in 2014, he was awarded the Dr Rajkumar Cultural Endowment Award by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.