Well-known filmmaker and lyricist Geethapriya, 84, died on Sunday in Bengaluru after a battle with throat cancer. He had been ill for some time and had been admitted in a government hospital in Malleswaram where he died.

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Geethapriya was born Lakshman Rao Mohite on June 15, 1932, and Marathi was his mother tongue. He started to work in the Kannada film industry in the mid-1960 and pretty soon took to direction. He has directed over 40 films and written about 250 songs. He was christened 'Geethapriya' meaning 'lover of songs' as a result of his work as a song-writer. 

Geethapriya directed many top stars in the Kannada film industry like Rajkumar and worked in the film industry for over five decades. Some of his best works include Yaava Janmada Maithri (1972), Beluvalada Madilalli (1975), Besuge (1976), Hombisilu (1978), Putani Agent 123 (1979), Preethisi Nodu (1981) and Mouna Geethe (1985). He directed his last film Shravana Sambhrama in 2003.

In fact, a less known fact is that he wrote the lyrics for Mohammed Rafi's only Kannada song 'Neenelli nadeve doora' in the movie Onde Balliya Hoogalu. Geethapriya was bestowed the Karnataka Rajyotsava award and Puttanna Kanagal award in 1986 for lifetime achievement.