Kannada actor Raju Talikote passes away; Shivakumar pays heartfelt tribute

Popular Kannada actor and theatre artiste 59yearold Raju Talikote passed away following a massive heart attack during a film shoot in the Udupi district of Karnataka on MondayHis original name was Rajesab Maktumsab Yankanchi Raju Talikote who was also serving as the Director of Dharwad Rangayana had earned fame both on stage and in filmsRaju Talikote is survived by two wives two sons and three daughters His son Bharat speaking to the media stated Raju Talikote had suffered a heart attack and had been treated earlier However this time he suffered another attack and could not be savedBharat said ldquoOur father had two wives but all of us have grown up together in harmonyrdquoThe family has informed that the last rites will be held in Chikkasindagi villageDy CM DK Shivakumar expressing his sadness over the demise stated It is deeply saddening that renowned theatre actor comedian and Director of Dharwad Rangayana Raju Talikote has passed away due to a heart attack Having acted in several Kannada films and earned immense popularity his demise is a great loss to the Kannada film industryI pray that god grants peace to the soul of Raju Talikote and gives his family the strength to bear this grief he statedFormer CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai stated The news of the demise of popular Kannada theatre artiste Raju Talikote has caused deep sorrow As a comedy actor he had earned the love of the people through his plays and he had also left his distinct mark in the film industryHis untimely passing while serving as the Director of Dharwad Rangayana is an irreparable loss to the field of art I pray that God grants strength to his family and admirers to bear the grief of his departure he statedRaju Talikote was born in 1965 Since he was born and brought up in Talikote he became known as Raju Talikote the name under which he later gained fame in theatre and cinemaRaju Talikotersquos parents were also theatre artists They ran a drama troupe called Shriguru Khasgateshwara Natya SanghaRaju studied at the Shriguru Khasgateshwara Math in Talikote where he also acted as a child artiste He studied there until the 4th standard After the death of his parents his education was cut short He worked as a hotel cleaner and later as a lorry cleaner before returning once again to the theatreHe gained experience in different areas of stagecraft and went on to continue his parentsrsquo drama troupeRaju Talikote wrote many plays specifically for cassette recording He became famous through the play Kaliyugada Kuduka which saw over 15000 performances In the 1990s an audio cassette of the play was recorded Following its release he gained immense popularity His fame also grew with plays like Kudukara Samrajyaand Hattigudi LakkavvaRajursquos first wife was Prema with whom he had two sons and one daughter His second wife was Prema from Sindhanur and they had two daughters named Shajeeda and ShabbuRaju Talikotersquos first film was Hendathi Andare Hendathi He later acted in several movies including Manasare Pancharangi Rajadhani Lifeu Ishtene Alemari Myna Topiwala and Punjabi House among othersHe also participated as a contestant in the reality show Bigg Boss Kannada Season 7This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever