A fan web page shared this image. (courtesy: janardhan.murthy)

Bengaluru (Karnataka):

Renowned veteran Kannada movie director SK Bhagavan handed away this morning. He was 89 and the reason for demise is suspected to be an age-related sickness. More particulars are awaited on this regard.

Some time in the past Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai took to Twitter to substantiate the information and specific grief over the demise.

He wrote a particular message for the late director in Kannada which interprets to – “Renowned director of Kannada film industry Shri S. K. I was very saddened to hear the news of Bhagavan’s death. I pray for his soul. I pray that God gives strength to his family to bear this pain.”

He continued, “Dorai-Bhagavan duo has given many tasteful films to Kannada cinema. Dr and his friend Dorai Raj directed 55 films including ‘Kasthuri Niwas’, ‘Eradu Soyam’, ‘Bayalu Dari’, ‘Giri Kanye’, ‘Hosa Lekuk’ starring Rajkumar. Om Shantih.”

knndd clncitrrNgd khyaat nirdeeshk shrii es. ke. bhgvaan rvr nidhnd suddi tillidu mnssige atyNt beesrvaayitu. avr aatmkke sdgti koorutteene. avr kuttuNbvrgdvrige ii noovnnu shisuv shktiynnu bhgvNt niiddli eNdu praarthisutteene.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/KNUL0Gh1wt

— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) February 20, 2023

Born on July 5, 1933, SK Bhagavan started performing in theatre performs at an early age alongside Hirannaiah Mithra Mandali. In 1956, he started working within the film trade as Kanagal Prabhakar Shastri’s assistant. Soon, he was listed alongside A.C. Narasimha Murthy because the co-director of ‘Rajadurgada Rahasya’ (1967). When he co-directed ‘Jedara Bale’ (1968) with Dorai Raj underneath the moniker Dorai-Bhagavan, he made his skilled directorial debut. They had been the primary Kannada filmmakers to make James Bond-style movies.

In the next years, the duo directed many movies reminiscent of ‘Kasturi Nivasa,’ ‘Eradu Kanasu’, ‘Bayaludaari’, ‘Gaalimaatu’, ‘Chandanada Gombe’, ‘Hosa Belaku’, ‘Benkiya Bale’, ‘Jeevana Chaitra’, and extra Bond-style movies like ‘Goa Dalli C.I.D 999,’Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999, and Operation Diamond Racke Together with Rajkumar, the staff produced plenty of movies with Anant Nag and Lakshmi, probably the most of which had been tailored from books.

After Dorai Raj handed away, SK Bhagavan took a protracted break from directing; their final movie collectively was ‘Baalondu Chaduranga’ in 1996. He made a comeback in 2019 with Aduva Gombe, the fiftieth film he has directed, on the age of 85.