One of the powerful actors of stage and director Gudugeri Basavaraj passed a little more than a year after another stalwart Chindodi Leela has expired. At 74 years the prolific actor passed away in a private hospital in Bangalore on Tuesday evening.

Gudugeri Basavaraj was surrounded by controversy after the death of his actress wife Kalpana the Minugu Thaare. The litigation of his wife death made him very miserable. But in one of the tabloids he narrated that he is not at fault with the demise of actress wife Kalpana.

Gudugeri known for punching dialogues of Ravana recited the lines at the top of the voice in September 2009 when he had come to the media address for his role in ‘Kanasemba Kudureyaneri’. Gudugeri could not proceed for that film after accepting the prestigious offer from Basanth Productions.

However he spoke from his heart on the life. I drink 1.5 liters of milk even today. The dialogues sound used to cover four kilometers of distance he mentioned for questions from media. At this meeting with Bangalore film media Gudugeri agreed that he had beaten Kalpana when she showed her slipper to me. A husband cannot tolerate such things. She was averse to me talking to other women. I am theatre company owner talking to women is normal. That she mistook it he explained the case history.

The demise of Gudigeri Basavaraj is a huge loss to theatre as his contribution is nearly 50 years plus on stage. He used to run two theatre companies despite of losing his acres of land.

For Kannada audience he is known as ‘Veera Sindhura Lakshmana’. He has also acted in Raithana Makkalu, Sangya Balya was his last film in Kannada.

Gudugeri Basavaraj suffered from cancer it is learnt.