From 8 am Sunday morning, fans have been pouring in through one of the entrances of Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. There was heavy security outside and inside the stadium, all the way to the ground where many from different parts of Karnataka waited to pay their last respects to Ambareesh.
Rajinikanth was among the first to reach the stadium. He sat with Ambareesh’s son Abhishek, his wife Sumalatha, and other friends for about two hours to mourn the loss.
He then spoke to the media there, and said, “Ambareesh and I were friends for over 40 years, I am deeply saddened by his death. Everyone will have a few close friends, but Ambareesh I think had over a 100. He lived like a king till the day he died. All he earned were people.”
He recounted that he called Ambareesh last week when he was in Bangalore to say he won’t be able to visit this time. “Ambareesh scolded me saying he will kill me if I did not go to his house next time. I never knew I would meet him like this the next time,” said Rajini.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda paid condolences and spoke to the media. Kumaraswamy said Ambareesh was a great friend and has contributed a lot to Kannada film industry and state politics. He said would ensure Ambareesh’s body is taken to Mandya with full respect, and will personally speak to defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman for an Indian Air Force chopper. He also announced a three-day statewide mourning.
Others from the industry who were close to the actor, like Chiranjeevi, Yash, Puneeth Rajkumar, Shivarajkumar and Rockline Venkatesh, some of whom had rushed to the hospital last night, were at the stadium on Sunday. Many others tweeted their condolences.
Mammootty, a beloved friend of Ambareesh’s, tweeted about their time together in the 80s, when most South Indian movie shoots used to happen in Chennai. He said, “To the world you will forever be beloved for your work in the movies and politics. But for me you will always be one of the first real friends I made from those early ‘Madras days’… No matter what I write, I cannot express the loss I feel. Will miss you ‘boss’ and how you would always call me that.”
— Mammootty (@mammukka) November 25, 2018
Ambareesh worked in over 200 Kannada films during his four decades as an actor. He won his first National award for his debut performance in the film Nagarahavu (1972), in which he played a villain called Jaleela. He then mostly played antagonist roles, and soon came to be known as the ‘angry man’ and ‘rebel star’.
In 1995, he entered politics, as a Congress party member. In two years he quit the party for not being allowed to contest elections, and joined Janata Dal. He won the 1998 general elections from his home town, Mandya.
He has been closely associated with Congress. He was a former Union Minister of State under Manmohan Singh’s UPA government, and a three-time Lok Sabha member, and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which he resigned over his dissatisfaction with the Cauvery Dispute Tribunal award, even though his resignation was not formally accepted.
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Rahul Gandhi tweeted about Ambareesh’s political career and said, “The Congress family has lost a valuable member. He was a famous son of Karnataka, whose work as an actor and in politics, won him a huge following both in the state and across India.” Former CM Siddaramaiah said, “He was not just a great actor, not just a proven politician but also great human being. Ambareesh, you’ll be missed.”
Prime Minister Modi said, “Ambareesh will always be remembered for his memorable performances as an actor and extensive contribution to politics. He was a strong voice for Karnataka’s welfare, at the state and central level.”
MK Stalin, Divya Spandana, Sai Dharam Tej, Rashmika Mandanna, Khushbu, Radikaa Sarathkumar, Allari Naresh and Amitabh Bachchan were others who tweeted condolences.
Ambareesh was 66. His sudden death was because of cardiac arrest, and reported kidney and lung ailments. He is survived by wife Sumalatha, also an actor, and his son Abhishek.
Ambareesh’s body will be flown to Vishweshwaraiah Stadium in Mandya today, and brought back to Bangalore on Monday morning. His cremation will be at Kanteerava Studio at 10 am tomorrow.
Image courtesy: Newsjizz.com