Kannada actor Shankar Rao passes away

Shankar Rao began his journey in the Kannada film industry by playing a supporting role in Yara Sakshi in 1972.

Kannada actor Shankar Rao has passed away in Bengaluru. He was 84.

A native of Tumakuru, Shankar Rao began his acting career as a theatre artist in Bengaluru. He founded his own theatre group called Kalakshetra, which was initially funded by his monthly paychecks from his day job. As his theatre group grew in size and popularity, he did a play called Yara Sakshi, which was based on British author Agatha Christie’s short story The Witness for the Prosecution. The play became a huge hit, and it opened new doors for Shankar Rao.

A film producer approached Shankar Rao and his team to turn the Kannada play Yara Sakshi into a feature film, paying the way for him to successfully transition from stage to the big screen. Under the direction of filmmaker M R Vittal, Shankar learned the ropes of screen acting, and he never looked back. He went on to star in many movies and television serials.

It was his performance as Boss Balaraju in the popular comedy serial Papa Pandu that made him a household name.

Many members of the Kannada film industry have expressed their condolences over the passing of Shankar Rao.

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