Thousands pay homage to Kannada superstar Vishnuvardhan
By IANSWednesday, December 30, 2009
BANGALORE - Police cane charged and burst tear gas shells here Wednesday to control fans who turned unruly while waiting to pay homage to Kannada superstar Vishnuvardhan. The 60-year-old actor died in Mysore, about 140 kms from here, following heart attack in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The body was brought here and kept at the National College Grounds in south Bangalore for his fans to pay their respects.
Thousands of fans from across Bangalore and nearby areas poured into the ground for the last glimpse of the actor whom they admired as ‘Sahasa Simha’.
As several of them tried to break the cordon, police cane charged and burst tear gas shells.
Several city transport buses were damaged when stones were pelted at some places in the city, police said.
All cinema houses across the state cancelled film shows for the day as mark of respect to the matinee idol who had acted in 199 films.
Shops, restaurants and other commercial establishments in Bangalore and other parts of the state also downed the shutters in tribute to the most popular Kannada film actor after thespian Raj Kumar, a Dadasaheb Phalke award winner who passed away in April 2006.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, his cabinet colleagues, Bangalore South Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member H.N. Ananth Kumar, leaders of Congress, Janata Dal-Secular parties, leading film personalities, cricketer Anil Kumble were among the people who paid homage to the departed actor.
