Kannada playwright, actor, director Yashwanth Sardeshpande is no more

Playwright, actor and director Yashwanth Sardeshpande (60), known for comedies, passed away in Bengaluru on September 29. According to family sources, he died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He is survived by wife Malati (also an actor) and their daughter.

Born in Ukkali of Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Vijayapura district in Karnataka, Yashwanth’s interest in theatre from childhood took him to Ninasam,theatre school in Heggodu from where he secured a diploma in theatre.

After the initial days of struggle in theatre, Yashwanth established a repertory ‘Guru Samsthe’ in Hubballi with the help of other graduates of Ninasam. He shot to fame with ‘All The Best’, translated from Marathi. There was no looking back after that. His wife Malati was a part of the team.

The success of All The Best, a comedy which saw over 500 shows across Karnataka, India, and even abroad, was followed by a few other successful comedies by the team.

He later ventured into television and Kannada films, received acclaim for his dialogues in the north Karnataka dialect in the Kamal Haasan, Arvind starrer Rama Shama Bhama. He produced and directed a Kannada comedy Idea Madyaara… Nagalikke, which did not do well at the box office.

He continued his productions in theatre.

Yashwanth had built a theatre school with an auditorium and other facilities in a one-acre plot of land in Hubballi to promote theatre activities, which, however, did not go as well as planned.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, ex-chief ministers Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka Legislative Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti have mourned his demise.