BENGALURU: Well-known Kannada film producer, distributor and exhibitor M Bhakthavatsala died at a private hospital here on Sunday. He was the recipient of Dr Rajkumar Award, 2012 for lifetime achievement. Bhakthavatsala was running the Minerva and Lavanya theatres in Bengaluru and Lakshmi Theatre in Mysuru.
In 1971, he produced Sampoorna Ramayana and Kanneshwara Rama directed by M S Sathyu, starring Ananth Nag, BV Karanth, Amol Palekar and Shabana Azmi. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has condoled the death of the noted film producer and former chairman of Indian Film Chamber of Commerce.
Bhakthavatsala was an officer in HMT and later turned to films through distribution and managing theatres. He shot to fame by producing films like Sandhyaraga, Samskara, etc. He had served as President of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce for 7 long years and took it to greater heights.
He was the only Kannadiga to chair the Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. He had also served as president of South Indian Chamber of Commerce. He had diverse interests such as literature, mountaineering, etc.
In his death, Karnataka film industry has lost a great leader, the Chief Minister said. Bhakthavatsala’s funeral will take place at noon on Monday at Wilson Garden crematorium.