Honnappa Bhagavathar

Honnappa Bhagavathar was a versatile artist who excelled in various fields of performing arts. He was born in 1915 at Chowdasandra, Nelamangala, near Bangalore, to a family of weavers. He lost his father at the age of five and grew up listening to his mother's bhajans and devotional songs. He developed a passion for music and learned classical music from his relative Murthy and harmonium player Arunachalappa. He also participated in plays and folk arts in his village. He moved to Bangalore in 1928 and worked as a weaver with his brother. He also joined a theatre group and staged a play in Salem. His performance impressed M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, a rising star in Tamil cinema, who recommended him to director Ellis R. Duncan for a supporting role in his film Ambikapathi (1937). Honnappa's play was a success and he was honoured with the title "Bhagavathar" by the audience. He then adopted the name Honnappa Bhagavathar and started his film career. ¹² He acted in many Tamil films, mostly in supporting roles, and also sang for some of them. He was known for his melodious voice and classical singing skills. He replaced M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in the 1946 film Sri Murugan, acting alongside MGR. He also founded a production company named Lalithakaala Films, which produced films in Kannada and Tamil. He made his Kannada film debut as a producer with Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), which was the first Kannada film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. He also acted in the film as the poet Kalidasa. He produced and acted in several other films, such as Pancharatna (1956), Jagajyothi Basaveshwara (1959), and Uzhavukkum Thozhilukkum Vandhanai Seivom (1959). He played the role of Valmiki in the mythological film Valmiki (1963), which established him as a leading actor in Kannada cinema. He was also a stage artist and performed in many plays, such as Harishchandra, Bhakta Prahlada, and Ramayana. ¹² He was honoured with many awards and titles for his contributions to the field of music and cinema. He received the Best Actor award from the Madras Sangeetha Nataka Sangham in 1956. He was conferred the title "Gana Kalabhushana" by the Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy in 1976 and the title "Gaanakalaa Gandharva" by the scholars of Mysore state in 1978. He also received the Rajyotsava Award in 1986 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991. He was a member of the Kannada Film Advisory Board and the Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy. ¹² He died of a heart attack on 2 October 1992 in Bangalore at the age of 77. He was survived by his son Bharath Bhagavathar, who was also an actor in Kannada films and serials. He was cremated with full state honours in Bangalore. His death was mourned by his family, friends, fans, and the film fraternity. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of Kannada cinema and a versatile artist who enriched the cultural heritage of Karnataka. ¹²