Bangalore: Rajesh (89) is a legendary actor who has acted in more than 150 films in Kannada. He had been suffering from kidney failure for the past few months and was being treated at a private hospital in Bangalore. In this condition, he passed away at 2.30 am yesterday without any treatment. His body was laid to rest at Ravindra Kalashetra for public homage. Chief Minister Basavaraj Puppet, Opposition leader Chidramaiah and state ministers and filmmakers paid their last respects to his body. Rajesh’s body was later cremated at a crematorium in Hebbal yesterday evening. He is the father-in-law of actor Arjun. Arjun is married to his daughter and actress Asha Rani.
While acting in plays, Rajesh worked as a typist in the public works department of the state government. He made his cinematic debut in 1960 with Krishnamurthy directing Veera Sankalpa. Later he acted in Ramanjaneya Yudham and Ganga Gauri. The film Uru in 1968 marked a turning point in his life. During the filming in Chennai, he changed his name from Vidyasagar to Rajesh. The film and the name change elevated him to a leading actor on screen. Colossal Rajesh has acted in more than 150 films in Kannada cinema for over 50 years.