Film-maker Pattabhi Rama Reddy dead

BANGALORE: Film-maker and Director Pattabhi Rama Reddy whose national award winning film Samsakara made waves in the Kannada parallel cinema in the 1970s, died after a prolonged illness here today, his family sources said.

Eighty-seven-year-old Reddy, who died at a private hospital here, is survived by a son and daughter.

Reddy's Samskara  based on celebrated writer U R Ananthamurthy's book which he produced and directed, won the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) award of the President and was considered a landmark art movie in Kannada filmdom.

Reddy's wife late Snehalatha Reddy, a socialist, had played the lead role in Samskara opposite well-known Kannada writer, director and Jnanapeeth awardee Girish Karnad.

He also made Chanda Marutha,  Shrungara Masa and Devara Kadu in Kannada, all three of which won the state awards, apart from Samskara.

Before foraying into the Kannada cinema world, he had a dalliance with the Telugu film industry, having produced Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddam and Pelli Naati Pramaanalu in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Reddy also has collections of revolutionary poems in Telugu to his credit. Last year, he had won the Puttana Kanagal award of the Karnataka government for his lifetime achievement.

He was closely associated with the Socialist movement in the state.  Reddy's body was cremated here on Saturday evening.