Kannada Actor And Ex-IAS Officer K Shivaram Dies At 70; Politicians Pay Tribute

On February 29, Kannada actor and politician K Shivaram passed away at the age of 70. 'Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake' (1993) and 'Tiger' (2017) were his most well-known films. The actor has reportedly spent the last few days receiving treatment at Bengaluru's HCG Hospital. His funeral is scheduled for March 1.

On Wednesday, Shivaram was in the intensive care unit (ICU) and was on a ventilator. His friends, coworkers, and admirers were shocked to learn of his passing. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Indian National Congress (INC), paid homage to Shivaram.

Kharge shared a vintage photo of the actor on X and commented, "I am deeply grieved to learn of the passing of K Shivaram, an actor who was once an IAS officer and was the first person in Kannada to pass the UPSC test. He was a multifaceted individual who entered active politics and served the people of Karnataka. An distinguished IAS officer, he was committed to protecting the law and the Constitution and was a devoted disciple of Dr. Ambedkar. My sincere sympathies go out to his loved ones, friends, and supporters."

R. Raghu Kautilya, a BJP politician, expressed his sorrow on X. "Very sad to know that Shri K. Shivaram Ji, a BJP leader and beloved by the OBC community, is no longer with us," he wrote. Karnataka State has suffered a significant loss. I ask God to grant his friends and family more fortitude to deal with this immense loss. Om Shanti #ShivaramIAS (emoji with folded hands).

Actor and activist Chetan Kumar from Kannada recollected Shivaram on X. In 2017 I had a conversation with Mr. K. Shivaram at Kanteerava Studio. Then, he started talking about how Modi was helping Dalits, and I asked him where he got his information from. He patiently listened, smiled, clapped me on the back, and wished me luck despite my resistance. We shall miss him," he wrote.

In Nagathihalli Chandrashekar's adaptation of his own novel, "Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake," K Shivaram made his acting debut. Shivaram failed to carve out a lucrative acting career in the Kannada film business, despite the unexpected hit. His most recent appearance was in the action movie "Tiger" from 2017, which also starred his brother-in-law Pradeep in the title role. In addition to them, the late Bollywood actor Om Puri played a significant role in the movie.