Gangadhar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Gangadhar 1936 Koratagere, Tumkuru district |
| Died | (aged 67)[1] |
| Other names | Rajendra Kumar |
| Occupation | Actor |
Gangadhar (1936–2003) was an Indian actor known for his work inKannada cinema.[2] Acharacter actor who transitioned from stage to films in the mid-1960s, he had a brief period of success when his performances insocial-dramas such asGejje Pooje (1969),Sharapanjara (1971) andSeetha (1970) were noted. In addition to the former two, he starred inKatha Sangama (1975) andRanganayaki (1981), all of which were directed byPuttanna Kanagal.[3] Other films he starred in includeNanna Thamma (1970),Aliya Geleya (1971) andBhale Adrushtavo Adrushta (1972).[1]
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.[4] Gangadhar appeared in a total of 80 Kannada-language films and was awarded theRajyotsava Award by thegovernment of Karnataka in recognition of his contribution to Kannada cinema. He died in 2003, aged 67.[1]
Gangadhar was born in 1936. He obtained adiploma inmechanical engineering before beginning to work inHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inBangalore. While there, he staged plays likeSamsare Nauke,Echamanayaka andVijayotsava.[5] He had achieved considerable success during his time at the theatre groupPrabhat Kalavidaru.[6]
A makeup artist, Mahadevaiah, introduced Gangadhar to filmmakerG. V. Iyer, who cast him inChowkada Deepa (1969) in the lead role.[5] He was credited as Rajendra Kumar for the film.[6] The film also marked the debut of actorSrinath.[7] The film was an attempt to blend into the hitherto onset ofParallel cinema, but failed to perform well. However, Gangadhar's first release was theRajkumar-starrerLagna Pathrike (1967). He played a stage actor in the film. AfterChowkada Deepa, he starred inPuttanna Kanagal's successful film,Gejje Pooje (1969), alongsideKalpana.[1] He subsequently appeared inNanna Thamma (1970), playing the brother of Rajkumar's character. He was paired opposite Kalpana again inSeetha (1970).[5] A popular collaboration during the time, the two went on to star together subsequently inSotu Geddavalu (1971),Yaava Janmada Maitri (1972) andBhale Adrushtavo Adrushta (1972).[4] InBandhavya (1972), he played a Raja, a thief and a brother ofK. S. Ashwath's character, who reforms himself in order to pursue his love interest.[5]
The year 1971 saw seven releases starring Gangadhar, including the hugely successfulSharapanjara andB. R. Panthulu'sAliya Geleya.[6] Gangadhar's Satish played husband of apostpartum psychosis-affected Kaveri (played by Kalpana) inSharapanjara, 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.[8] In 1972, Gangadhar had a total of four releases. He played Chennappa in Kanagal'santhology filmKatha Sangama (1975), as the husband of a blind woman (played byAarathi). Based on the novelMunithaayi, the plot follows Chennappa's struggle after knowing that his wife is raped byRajinikanth's character.[3] 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 asVishnuvardhan,Ambareesh andShankar Nag among others.[5] Gangadhar made occasional screen appearances in the 1980s; one notable role came inBhakta Prahlada (1983), in which he played the Hindu deityIndra.[4] InMutthu Ondu Mutthu (1979), he played the father of female lead's character; inJeevakke Jeeva (1981), a negative-shaded character; and inKarna (1986), the brother of Vishnuvardhan's character.[3] During this time, Gangadhar returned to theatre and worked for a period of 12 years.[6]
The 1990s saw worsening health condition of Gangadhar as he was ailing fromdiabetes,kidney-related illness and deteriorating eyesight. This was evident during the film ofAata Hudugata (1995), which was his last screen appearance.[4] In one of his last public appearances, the annual Kannada Film Directors Association event at theChowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore, in April 2001, he teared up lamenting his deteriorating eyesight stating he was looking forward for his death.[6] After prolonged illness, Gangadhar died at 11:15 p.m. (IST) on 27 December 2003 in Bangalore, aged 67.[1][4]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Lagna Pathrike | Stage actor | |
| 1969 | Chowkada Deepa | Raghu | Credited as Rajendra Kumar |
| 1969 | Gejje Pooje | Somu | |
| 1970 | Nanna Thamma | ||
| 1970 | Seetha | Ramnath | |
| 1970 | Kalyani | Ranganath | |
| 1971 | Sotu Geddavalu | Shankara Murthy | |
| 1971 | Sharapanjara | Sathish | |
| 1971 | Aliya Geleya | ||
| 1971 | Bhale Bhaskar | Ramesha | |
| 1972 | Bandhavya | Raja | |
| 1972 | Yaava Janmada Maitri | Krishna Murthy | |
| 1972 | Bhale Adrushtavo Adrushta | Krishna | |
| 1972 | Subhadra Kalyana | ||
| 1972 | Malathi Madhava | ||
| 1972 | Jeevana Jokali | ||
| 1973 | Jaya Vijaya | ||
| 1973 | Mane Belagida Sose | ||
| 1974 | Mannina Magalu | ||
| 1975 | Viplava Vanithe | ||
| 1976 | Katha Sangama | Chennappa | |
| 1976 | Makkala Bhagya | ||
| 1976 | Baalu Jenu | Ravi | |
| 1976 | Bangarada Gudi | Shankar | |
| 1976 | Devaru Kotta Vara | Shivu | |
| 1980 | Nyaya Neethi Dharma | Shekhar | |
| 1981 | Ranganayaki | Seth | Cameo |
| 1981 | Jeevakke Jeeva | Santosh | |
| 1983 | Bhakta Prahlada | Indra | |
| 1986 | Karna | ||
| 1988 | Mithileya Seetheyaru | ||
| 1991 | Central Rowdy | ||
| 1992 | Harakeya Kuri | ||
| 1994 | Rashmi | ||
| 1995 | Aata Hudugata | Rajashekhar |
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