BANGALORE: Actress and director Vaishali Kasaravalli passed away in Bangalore on Monday. She was 55.
She is survived by her director husband Girish Kasaravalli, son Apoorva and daughter Ananya.
She won the best costume designer award at the national level for Thai Saheba in 1998 and the best actress award from the state government for her performance in Akramana.
Vaishali was suffering from renal problems for some time.
Her health deteriorated in the last six months.
Apoorva was taking care of her TV serial Muthina Thorana, while Ananya and Girish were attending to her at the hospital.
She had acted in around 100 films. She played the role of a cricket-crazy housewife in the film Ganeshana Madhuve.
T S Nagabharana, chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, has condoled her death.
“Vaishali’s death is a great loss to the Kannada film industry and the small screen,” said director Nagabharana. “She was not only a theatre artiste, but also a director and actress of Sandalwood.”
He said she also participated in plays organised by Benaka troupe.
Tara, a national award winning actress, said she had maintained her own identity in Sandalwood.
“She had the privilege of working in all the departments of film-making,” said Tara. “Her death is a great loss to Kannada film industry.”
Basantkumar Patil, president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, described her death as a great loss to Sandalwood.
“Vaishali was a great artiste. She became famous in rural areas through her TV serials Muthina Thorana and Moodala Mane,” said Patil.
“I wanted to make a film under her direction, but God took her away before I could realise my dream,” he said.