Kannada poet Vyasa Rao passes away

M.N. Vyasa Rao. File

Noted Kannada poet and film lyricist M.N. Vyasa Rao passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday morning.

He was 73 and is survived by his wife, daughter and a son.

Vyasa Rao collapsed after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while having his breakfast and died in his house, sources said.

A bank employee by profession, Vyasa Rao entered Kannada film industry as a lyricist in 1975 in the hit film

Shubhamangala directed by thespian Puttanna Kanagal. The songs he wrote for the film — “Suryangu chandrangu bandare munisu” and “Nakondla Naku” — remain classics even today.

He worked as a lyricist for many Puttanna Kanagal films and later expanded his repertoire. Many of his other poems are also known as ‘bhaavageetes’ (light music).

Vyasa Rao was also a novelist and had authored several detective and literary novels in Kannada, apart from writing short stories.

He was also a recipient of Karnataka Rajya Sahitya Academy award for his short story collection “Maleyalli Neneda Maragalu”.