Shankar Rao, the veteran Kannada actor known for acting in films and television serials, died due to age-related illness at his residence in Arekere, Bengaluru on Monday, according to a Times of India report. He was 83.
As per the report, Rao had been ill for the past three to four months and breathed his last at 6.30 am on Monday.
The late actor hailed from the Tumakuru district of Karnataka and was a popular face on television as well in Kannada cinema. He was known for his portrayal of the character Boss Balaraju in the Kannada serial Paapa Pandu.
Rao, who started his career in the theatre, founded the group Kalakshetra. He was also associated with the theatre troupes Nataranga and Kalakunja. The late actor performed in plays such as Kakanakote, Tughlaq, Mruchchakatika, and Poli Kitti.
Rao, who has over 100 films to his credit, made his acting debut on the big screen with the 1972 film Yara Sakshi, directed by filmmaker MR Vittal. The film also starred actors Manjula, GV Shivanand and Sampath.
During the course of his career spanning more than three decades, Rao often appeared in supporting and comedian roles. He was part of films like Appu (2002), Milana (2007) and Sidlingu (2012), and shared screen space with many well-known actors, including Vishnuvardhan, Upendra, and Puneeth Rajkumar.
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Speaking to ET Times, Shalini Satyanarayan, Rao’s co-star in Paapa Pandu, recalled, “Shankar Rao sir was a man who never complained about anything while shooting. Besides season one of Paapa Pandu, even during the second season, which we shot years later, Shankar sir had the same enthusiasm despite his age. He still had the same energy and never cribbed about the extended shoot hours. He was always a jovial man.”
She also recalled how the late actor did not treat junior and senior actors differently, but was always humble and made the best of everything.