Actor Shivaram cremated with state honours

Veteran Kannada actor S. Shivaram, 83, who passed away on Saturday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, was cremated with state honours on Sunday.

The mortal remains of the actor were placed at Ravindra Kalakshetra on Sunday morning for members of the film fraternity and his fans to pay their last respects. Several senior actors, including Bharathi, Dwarakish, Anant Nag, Ramakrishna, and Tara caught a last glimpse of the actor and turned emotional. Many recounted how Shivaram, an ardent devotee of Sabarimala Ayyappa, was like a spiritual guide to several people in the film industry.

Senior writer and director Baragur Ramachandrappa said Shivaram had a unique, unobtrusive style of acting, especially in comedy that it could be branded the “Shivaram style”. “Not just acting, he was a friend to all and had no foe. He lived a full life and has gone now. We are left behind to feel sad,” he said.

Ms. Tara lamented how the film industry was ravaged by successive deaths of many of its stalwarts and hoped the colleagues in the industry could soon meet on a happy occasion.

The mortal remains were later taken to the electric crematorium at Banashankari where Shivaram’s sons Lakshmeesha and Ravishankar performed the last rites after the police offered their respects with a 21 gun salute. Given that he was a devotee of Ayyappa, many of his associates sang bhajans of the deity during the last journey.

Revenue Minister R. Ashok announced that the Government was planning to commemorate the life and works of the actor in a fitting manner.