Mangaluru: Senior stage artist and actor K Anand Shetty passed away at his residence in Chilimbi on Sunday. He was 74. Born to Shesi Shedthi and Eshwar Shetty on July 23, 1943, Anand evinced a keen interest in theatre and acting even as a student.

He excelled in epochal dramas under maestros such as M S Ibrahim, B Rama Kirodian, Sanjeeva Dandakeri, Saraswathi Shekar, Seetharam Kulal, K B Bhandary and Machchendranath Pandeshwar, to name a few.

Overall, Anand Shetty, who was an integral part of Devadas Kapikad’s Cha Parka team, acted in more than 37 dramas such as Bale Cha Parka, Ghante Yethand, Eer Doora, Panda Nambayer and Pudhar Deethijji, that was staged more than 6,000 times.

A recipient of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy’s honorary award in 2016, Anand also proved his prowess in Tulu films such as Sathya Olundu and Maari Bale. He was also an equally adept script and song writer for dramas.