Vishnuvardhan was a naughty boy in college

Sahasa Simha Dr Vishnuvardhan was not a quiet lad in college. According to his friends from National College,  Basavangudi, Vishnuvardhan was a prankster and used to poke fun at his
classmates, juniors and in fact, even his seniors at college.

Vishnuvardhan idolised Bollywood stars like Dharmendra and Rajkumar. He was known to be a great singer,  actor and cricketer. More than his  classmates, Vishnuvardhan used to socialise with seniors and juniors. Sundar Raj, an actor and a junior from college said, “He was a hit with the girls in college. For a good laugh, he would get me to  deliver roses to some of the girls, only to have them scold me. Now, these memories make me emotional. “I still remember the day when he bought a car (Standard Herald), exactly six months after the  success of Naagara Haavu. That day, he took us for a spin around the city.

Even after he became a star, we continued  being friends,” he added.  Vishnuvardhan was known to hold women in high regard.

If any of his friends spoke ill about women, he used to get quite annoyed. He advised them not to smoke or consume alcohol. 

Vishnuvardhan was very disciplined and affectionate. His favourite song back then was Kasme vaade from the Hindi film,  Upkaar. “We used to call him Tarle  because his initial was T. In a college play Sundropa Sundru, he essayed the role of a woman and it was very popular on  campus,” he recalled.

K S Sridhar, another friend, recalled, “He was two years my senior. Once he took my cycle and did not come back for two-three days.
We had an orchestra team in college and he was the singer. On his wedding anniversary every year, he used to take us all to Tirupati.”

Kappanna, another friend said  Vishnuvardhan’s tryst with acting began when he joined the histrionics club  headed by Make-up Nani.

“Nani  recognised his talent and asked him if he was interested in acting. Sampath  started with small roles in plays, where he often played the leading lady. Girls were not allowed to take part then,” said Kappanna.