A Decent Star falls silent

15

Tweet

Early morning telephone calls always bring a bad news for me. This morning it brought the sad news of the untimely death of Vishnuvardhan. He was already a big hero, years before I was born. His unforgettable, intense role as Ramachari in Naagara Haavu had made him a household name in Karnataka, decades before I started to go to school! Teenagers like me who grew up during eighties and nineties had a strange liking for Vishnuvardhan. The gigantic Rajkumar was too big and too senior for our generation. The only other film hero who attracted us was Vishnuvardhan.

He was young, he was charming, sophisticated, he wore nice clothes, rode motorbike and above all he was very good in fighting scenes. Rajkumar looked like a family headman. Vishnuvardhan looked like a caring, flamboyant elder brother. He was also very decent like Rajkumar. I had met him on many occasions. He was always courteous and warm.

His small role in Girish Karnad's acclaimed movie Vamshavruksha is still remembered for its freshness. Talking to our news channel CNN-IBN Girish Karnad rightly said that Vishnuvardhan was his discovery. Theatre legend the late B V Karanth was also involved in that discovery.

Puttanna Kanagal, who made new wave cinema in Kannada challenging Rajkumar hegemony, perhpas knew that only handsome and dashing Vishnuvardhan could take on the most powerful and popular Annavru. Vishnuvardhan proved him right by carving a niche for himself in the southern cinema. He had accepted the challenge and became number two. He remained there till Rajkumar's death, four years ago.

After Rajkumar era, the entire industry looked up to Vishnuvardhan for guidance and support whenever there was a crisis. The graceful Vishnuvardhan handled that responsibility with courage and conviction.

As I have already said he was a very decent man like Rajkumar. Like him, Vishnuvardhan too resisted the lure of politics. Congress was really serious about fielding him against BJP's Ananthkumar from the prestigious Bangalore South in 1999 and 2004 Lok Sabha elections. His close friend, actor and politician Ambareesh was putting a lot of pressure on him to enter politics. But, Vishnuvardhan was already moving towards spirituality and said a firm NO to luxuries of power. I had a ringside view of all happennings and I can say this with all authority.

He acted in 199 films including a few in other languages. For me, his best movies are his early movies.

As a journalist wrote " like Rahul Dravid who has always had to play under the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar, Vishnuvardhan's career coincided with that of the gigantic Dr Raj Kumar, although the two starred together only once. In an industry filled with all kinds of self-appointed stars, to Vishnuvardhan goes the worthy and weighty title, "Decent Star".

His death is too much for Kannadigas and Karnataka. That too just a day before we welcome a brand new year.