BENGALURU: The mortal remains of the much-loved and revered ‘Rebel Star’ Ambareesh, who passed away on Saturday night in Bengaluru, were consigned to flames with full state honours at Kanteerava Studios at 5.56pm on Monday. Police fired 21 rounds as a mark of respect, as the national anthem played in the background.
There were heart-wrenching scenes at the Kanteerava Studios as Ambareesh’s son Abhishek placed the last log of wood to cover his father’s face as he lay on the funeral pyre. Abhishek hesitated, then wept inconsolably before composing himself to complete the task.
Earlier, when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy handed over the Indian tricolour which draped Ambareesh’s body to wife Sumalatha, both mother and son broke down. As he lay on the firewood, Sumalatha stepped forward and kissed her husband’s forehead and feet.
Ambareesh’s last rites and preceding final journey involved a total of at least six lakh people: in Kanteerava Stadium, where his body lay in state from 8am Sunday until 4pm; at Sir M Visvesvaraya Stadium in Mandya until 9.30am Monday (at least three lakh people are estimated to have paid their last respects here); and along the 13km route that an unprecedented procession wound its way, starting at 11.45pm from Kanteerava Stadium to reach Kanteerava Studios at 4.15pm.
An Indian Air Force helicopter was pressed into service to fly Ambareesh’s mortal remains to and from Mandya, the star-turned-politician’s hometown.
The who’s who of the Kannada film industry was in attendance at this sombre ceremony — actors Darshan, Shivarajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, besides yesteryear’s stars.
CM Kumaraswamy, who accompanied Ambareesh’s remains to Mandya on the chopper, former chief ministers SM Krishna, Siddaramaiah, B S Yeddyurappa and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda were present along with several ministers and political leaders.