Ambareesh

Ambareesh was an Indian actor, media personality, and politician from the state of Karnataka. He acted in over 200 films in a career spanning nearly four decades. He was one of the most celebrated actors of Kannada cinema, and was also known as Rebel Star, Mandyada Gandu, and Kaliyuga Karna. He played a variety of roles, including rebellious, romantic, comedic, and antagonistic. He also entered politics in 1994 and became a three-time member of the Lok Sabha, representing Mandya constituency. He was also a minister of state for information and broadcasting, and a minister of housing in Karnataka. He was honoured with several awards and recognition for his contribution to cinema and society. Ambareesh was born as Malavalli Huchche Gowda Amarnath on 29 May 1952 in Doddarasinakere village of Mandya district in the erstwhile Mysore State (now Karnataka). He belonged to the Barozaiclan of Pashtuns, whose ancestors had migrated from Afghanistan to India. His father was a personal driver of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Ambareesh developed an interest in acting during his school days and participated in many plays and dramas. He moved to Bengaluru to pursue his acting career and joined the film institute of director V. Madhusudhana Rao. He made his debut in the 1972 film Naagarahaavu, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, in which he played a supporting role. He got his screen name Ambareesh from this film, as he played a character named Amba. He went on to act in several films as a villain and a supporting actor, before becoming a lead actor in the 1978 film Antha, directed by Rajendra Singh Babu. He established himself as a popular hero with films such as Ranganayaki, Chakravyuha, Masanada Hoovu, Elu Suttina Kote, and New Delhi. He was known for his rebellious and angry young man image, and his dialogue delivery and voice modulation. He also acted in many films with his close friend and superstar Vishnuvardhan, and their combination was considered a hit formula at the box office. Ambareesh also ventured into other film industries and acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi films. He acted with prominent actors such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, and Amitabh Bachchan. He also played negative roles in films such as Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, and Kalicharan. He also showed his versatility by playing comic roles in films such as Sadhu Aur Shaitaan and Teen Bahuraniyan. He also produced some films under his banner A.G. Films. He was a recipient of many awards, including three Karnataka State Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, and a NTR National Award. He was also conferred an honorary doctorate by the Karnatak University in 2013. Ambareesh married actress Sumalatha in 1991, after being in a relationship for several years. They had a son, Abhishek Gowda, who also became an actor. Ambareesh was also involved in social and charitable activities, and was known for his generosity and kindness. He was a patron of many educational institutions and orphanages. He also supported many causes, such as farmers' welfare, water conservation, and organ donation. Ambareesh joined politics in 1994 and became a member of the Janata Dal. He contested and won the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in the 1996 general elections. He later joined the Indian National Congress and won the same seat in the 1998 and 1999 elections. He was appointed as the minister of state for information and broadcasting in the Manmohan Singh government in 2006, but resigned in 2007 over the Cauvery water dispute issue. He also served as the minister of housing in the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka from 2013 to 2016. He was considered a mass leader and had a huge fan following in his constituency and across the state. Ambareesh suffered from various health problems in his later years, and was frequently hospitalized. He had a breathing problem in 2014 and was shifted to Singapore in an air ambulance, where he recovered. He died of a cardiac arrest on 24 November 2018 in Bengaluru, at the age of 66. His death was mourned by many film personalities, politicians, and fans, who paid tribute to his legacy and achievements. His mortal remains were kept at Kanteerava Studios, where thousands of people came to pay their last respects. He was cremated with full state honours at Dr. Rajkumar Smaraka in Bengaluru.