Bengaluru: LV Sharada Rao of Kannada feature film Phaniyamma fame succumbed to breast cancer on Thursday, March 21 morning at
Sri Shankara Hospital, Bengaluru.
She had won the national award for her first film Vamsha Vriksha in 1972 directed by BV Karanth and Girish Karnad.
She played the iconic role of Phaniyamma in the film Phaniyamma. Other than Phaniyamma and Vamsha Vriksha, she has also acted in Adi Shankaracharya.
Satyajit Ray described her as “the only south Indian actress I have met who is intelligent too.”
She was the woman protagonist in many G V Iyer films.
Her role of Yeshoda in the television serial Krishnavatara by G V Iyer was her favourite in spite of working in it for 22 hours a day.
She had adorned the cover pages of most of the Kannada magazines in 70s and 80s.
She gave up her career after acting in 10 films after 1980.
L V Sharada always believed that reel life and real life were different. She never lived her cinema roles in life.
She preferred using public transport even after getting national award for her film.
She felt it was important to preserve herself and not to get cynical or hypocritical in life.