Veteran Kannada producer KCN Chandru passes away

Bengaluru: Karnataka's legendary film producer K.C.N. Chandrashekhar, whose family banner - KCN Movies - had produced a large number of cult classic movies and delivered blockbusters, passed away due to multi-organ failures. He was 69.

Chandrashekhar, was the son of the legendary producer late K.C.N. Gowda, who had founded the KCN Movies, after successfully building iconic movie theatres projects like - Navarang and Urvashi here.

Carrying forward his family's tradition started by his father, Chandrashekhar too continued to produce iconic movies including some of the late Kannada thespian's Dr Rajkumar's best works like Babruvahana.

The producer was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru where he was undergoing treatment. He died due to multiple organ failures on Sunday, according to family sources.

Chandrashekhar's final rites were conducted at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday morning.

The veteran filmmaker had also served as the president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC).

Condoling Chandrashekar's demise, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said that the Kannada film industry has lost a great film-maker and prayed for his soul to rest in peace.

Actor and activist Chetan Kumar also condoled the death of the ace producer and wrote: "Producer KCN Chandrashekar had passed away. In 1977 his banner produced popular film 'Babruvahana'. When I was 4-yers-old, I enacted legendary dialogue between father-son Arjuna & #Babruvahana across US. Chandrashekar was kind, hospitable whenever we spoke. We will miss him."

Chandrashekhar's father, late K. C. N. Gowda, is still considered to be a legendary movie producer, distributor, and exhibitor in Kannada cinema.

Gowda is still remembered fondly by Kannada film lovers for some of his timeless classic Kannada movies like Sharapanjara, Babruvahana, and Daari Thappida Maga. Cult classic movie Bangarada Manushya ran for two years in States theatre Bengaluru, while Sharapanjara was a silver jubilee film.

Following the path laid down by their father, the K.C.N. brothers ventured into different subjects in movies, including social, mythological, historical and entertaining films.

He introduced many new talents to Kannada cinema in the field of artistes and technicians. There was no shortfall in the hospitality in the production house of the KCN Gowda banner. Legendary thespian of Kannada movies Rajkumar used to often describe K.C.N. Gowda as "Anna Dhaata".