Top Kannada producer Ramu dies of Covid-19, celebrities mourn demise

BENGALURU: Noted Kannada film producer Ramu died on Monday evening after losing the battle against the coronavirus. He was 52. He was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru last week after he complained of difficulty in breathing. He is survived by his wife Malashree, who is a popular actor, and their two children.

His death has shocked the Kannada film industry. Celebrities have been sharing messages condoling his untimely death on social media. “One of the most passionate Movie Producers of KFI, Ramu Sir is no more. RIP,” wrote Puneeth Rajkumar on his Twitter page.

Actor Darshan described Ramu as the pride of Kannada cinema in his condolence tweet. “I pray for his soul to rest in peace and strength to his family to bear this loss. Please stay at home and follow all safety precautions (against Covid-19),” he said.

Actor Sriimurali expressed shock over Ramu’s death. He tweeted, “This is shocking, One of my earliest Producer’s and a wonderful neighbor you were Ramu Sir and more than that a kind human. I cannot imagine what Mallakka and the kids are going through. KFI lost a fantastic producer today. I will miss you Sir. Rest in peace (sic).”

Ramu has bankrolled several films of Malashree, who has appeared in many action-oriented roles. One of his biggest hits was AK-47. The film about a boy who gets framed on false charges was one of the biggest blockbusters of Kannada in 1999 and cemented Shivarajkumar’s stardom in Sandalwood. Helmed by Om Prakash Rao, the film also had great actors like Om Puri and Girish Karnad among others. Some of his other hits include Lockup Death, Chamundi, Hollywood, Kiccha, Kalasipalya. His last production venture was 99, which was the remake of Tamil romantic hit, 96. The film came out in 2019 and it had Ganesh and Bhavana in the lead roles.