Bengaluru : Kannada actor-filmmaker Kashinath passed away on Thursday morning at Sri Shankara Hospital in Bengaluru. He suffered a cardiac arrest. Kashinath had been under medical care for the last two days.

The doctors at the hospital confirmed that Kashinath was suffering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a news that seems to have come as a surprise to many of his colleagues in Kannada cinema. A few days back, his health deteriorated and he breathed his last at 7:45 am while he was still under medical care. He is survived by his son Abhimanyu and daughter Amruthavarshini.

Kashinath was a trend-setting director in the 1980s. He made his debut as a director with Aparoopada Athitigalu (1975) and his second film Aparichita (1978) became a big hit both commercially and critically, which he also remade in Hindi as Be-Shaque with Mithun Chakraborty.

He directed many films from different genres in Hindi and Telugu besides Kannada. He was popular for his adult comedy entertainers. And it won’t be wrong to say he was a pioneer in exploring comedy using double entendre in films. He also made a mark as an actor with as many as 40 movies. He was last seen in Chowka, which came out last year. He played a pivotal role in the multi-starrer film and garnered appreciation for his performance as a bereaved father filled with rage to avenge his dead daughter.

Kashinath also launched the career of many successful actors, including Upendra. Manohar, Sunil Kumar Desai, their big break. Reports suggest, his films always touched upon subjects that were considered forbidden in the society. In fact some of his dialogues have now become a part of the lingo. One example being – Mangalooru Manjunatha

Kannada celebrities have been expressing their shock while condoling the death of the veteran filmmaker. “Shocking to Know Kashinath Sir is no More. Deepest Condolences, ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿ ಸಿಗಲಿ. Very Big Loss to Kannada Film Industry!,” posted Puneeth Rajkumar on his Facebook page.

“I am so saddened to know about the demise of Kashinath sir.He was a kind & a learned man. RIP,” tweeted Ganesh.

“This was the final selfie with RIP Kashinath,” filmmaker Ramesh Aravind posted sharing a picture on his Twitter page.

His one of super hit film Anananthana Avathara