BANGALORE: Kannada Sugama Sangeeth and theatre artiste and film music composer C Ashwath‘s death on his seventy-first birthday yesterday was followed by death of Kannada film thespian Vishnuvardhan in the early hours this morning.

Vishnuvardhan, a film actor and a singer died of cardiac arrest.

Born Sampath Kumar, Sahasa Simha, (A lion in fighting/action) as he was called adopted the name Vishnuvardhan at the instance of Puttanna Kanagal who directed him in the Kannada film ‘Nagarahavu‘, a film which gave him recognition and stardom.

Vishnuvardhan acted in over 195 films in his 35-year career. As a singer, he started singing in movies occasionally and of late he had started singing devotional songs for albums.

Some of his famous songs are Hegiddharu Neene Chenna -‘Sahasa Simha, Shashiya Kandu Moda Helithu - ‘Sirithanakke Savaal‘; Thuthu Anna Thinnoke - ‘Jimmi Gallu‘; Beda Annoro Unte - ‘Sididedda Sahodara‘; Kannadave Nammamma - ‘Mojugara Sogusugara‘.

His body was brought to his residence in Bangalore from Mysore and will be cremated shortly.

Ashwath, who learnt Hindustani classical music from Devagiri Shankarrao Joshi became an exponent of Bhavageete and Janapada Geete. Besides singing for a number of his own compositions, Ashwath composed music for 22 films, including a number of award winning movies.

Karnataka Higher Education minister Aravind Limbavali announced that the government would consider beginning a music school for children that Aswath wanted to open under the ambit of the newly established music university in Mysore.