A colorful personality in both the bureaucracy and entertainment fields of Kannada cinema, K. Shivaramu, the first to write the IAS examination in Kannada, has passed away after a prolonged illness.
A dedicated bureaucrat who always championed the causes of the downtrodden, and an actor since 1993 with the release of ‘Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake’, Shivaramu had an illustrious career. He breathed his last at the age of 71 at HCG Hospital. Acute low blood pressure afflicted him, and he did not respond to the treatment provided by expert doctors.
Throughout his tenure as an IAS officer in Mysuru, Bengaluru, Koppal, Vijayapura, Davanagere, and other places as DC, Shivaramu addressed various issues faced by the underprivileged. He initiated numerous programs to fulfill the aspirations of the people and extended all possible assistance to those who sought his help. His last position in government service was as the Chairman of BMRDA.
As the founder of the Chalavadi Party, aimed at addressing the needs of the less fortunate, K. Shivaramu ventured into politics. Although he contested in the Vijayapura Lok Sabha elections, he did not emerge victorious. He transitioned from Congress to BJP, but the Chalavadi Paksha, which he established, operated independently to serve the interests of the people.
K. Shivaramu’s first daughter, Inchara, married Kannada actor Pradeep, while his second daughter, Ankura, married Bharat.
Beginning his acting career in 1993 with ‘Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake’, K. Shivaram, while maintaining his bureaucratic standards, waged a cinematic battle against the upper-class society in his films, remaining an advocate for the downtrodden. His films like Vasantha Kavya, Yarige Beda Duddu, Prathibhatane, Game, Naga, and others over the last 20 years faced an abrupt halt when the High Court ruled that government officials should not act in films.
Retiring as K. Shivaram IAS from the BMRDA department of the Government of Karnataka, at the age of 60, he remained vibrant, and his age was not evident in his face or demeanor as he continued to take on meaningful roles. His final endeavor, ‘Tiger’, which he both produced and acted in alongside his son-in-law Pradeep, was an action-packed extravaganza.
