Ambareesh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ambareesh
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Ambareesh in 2006
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| Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 24 October 2006 – 15 February 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Succeeded by | Choudhury Mohan Jatua S. Jagathrakshakan |
| Member of parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1998–2009 |
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| Preceded by | Krishna |
| Succeeded by | N. Chaluvaraya Swamy |
| Constituency | Mandya |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Malavalli Huchche Gowda Amarnath
29 May 1952 Doddarasinakere, Mandya, Mysore State, India |
| Died | 24 November 2018 (aged 66) Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress (1994–1996, 1999–2018) |
| Other political affiliations |
Janata Dal (1996–1999) |
| Spouse |
Sumalatha
(m. 1991) |
| Children | Abhishek (son) |
| Profession |
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Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (born May 29, 1952 – died November 24, 2018) was an Indian actor and politician. He was better known by his screen name, Ambareesh. He came from the state of Karnataka, India.
Ambareesh was one of the three most famous actors in Kannada cinema. The other two were Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan.
He started his acting career in 1972 with the film Naagarahaavu. At first, he played villain and helper roles. Later, he became a lead actor, often playing strong, independent characters. This earned him the nickname "rebel star". People also called him Mandyada Gandu, which means "Man of Mandya". He was, and still is, a very popular and admired figure in Karnataka.
In 1994, Ambareesh entered politics. He became a member of the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house of the Indian Parliament. He represented the Mandya area three times. He was first with the Janata Dal party, then with the Indian National Congress until he passed away. From 2006 to 2007, he was briefly the Minister for Information and Broadcasting. He also served as the Minister of Housing in Karnataka from 2013 to 2016.
Ambareesh won many awards for his acting, including State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards. In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from Karnatak University. He also got lifetime achievement awards like the NTR National Award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South. Ambareesh had breathing problems since 2014 and passed away four years later.
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Early Life
Ambareesh was born on May 29, 1952. His birthplace was Doddarasinakere village in the Mandya district of the old Mysore State (now Karnataka). His birth name was Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath. He was the sixth of seven children born to Hucchegowda and Padmamma. His granduncle was a famous violinist named Chowdiah. Ambareesh finished his schooling in Mandya before moving to Mysore for higher studies.
Career
As an Actor
The famous Kannada film director Puttanna Kanagal was looking for a new face. He needed someone to play a small villain role in his upcoming film. One of Ambareesh's friends, Sangram Singh, suggested him for an audition. Ambareesh was not very keen on it at first. During his audition, he was asked to walk in a certain way, say a line, and flip a cigarette into his mouth. Kanagal was impressed and cast him in his 1972 film Naagarahaavu. This film also marked the debut of Vishnuvardhan, who also became a very popular actor.
Ambareesh acted in about 208 films. Some of his other films with Kanagal include Paduvaaralli Pandavaru, Shubhamangala, Masanada Hoovu, and Ranganayaki (1981). By 2010, Ambareesh had acted in the most lead roles in Kannada films. He surpassed Rajkumar's record of 206 films and Vishnuvardhan's record of 230 films (across different languages). This record still stands today. He also played supporting roles early in his career.
In the 1980s, Ambareesh often played the role of an angry young man. Many films were created just for him. One of his earliest such films was Antha (1981). This was a political satire, meaning it made fun of politics. It was directed by Rajendra Singh Babu and was later remade into Hindi and Tamil. This film was controversial because it was one of the first in India to show politicians and government officials as dishonest. Chakravyuha and New Delhi were similar films. Chakravyuha was remade into Hindi as Inquilaab, starring Amitabh Bachchan. New Delhi was a remake of a hit Malayalam film.
His other well-known films include Tony, Rani Maharani, Olavina Udugore, and Odahuttidavaru. His acting in Masanada Hoovu, Elu Suttina Kote, and the Malayalam film Gaanam (1982) was highly praised by critics. Ambareesh also showed great acting in Mamateya Madilu, Hrudaya Haadithu, and Mouna Raga. He even acted with the legend Rajkumar. He was known as Mandyada Gandu, Kaliyuga Karna (for his kindness), and Rebel Star. He was the first Kannada actor to open the famous Mysore Dasara festival.
As a Politician
Ambareesh joined the Indian National Congress (INC) before the 1994 state election. He helped the party in the election, but it was too late for him to get a ticket to run himself. At first, he faced some angry reactions from the public. He left the party two years later because he was not given a chance to run in the 1996 general election.
Ambareesh then joined the Janata Dal party. He ran in the 1998 general election from Mandya and won with many votes.
In 1999, Ambareesh rejoined the INC. He ran in five more elections after that. He served as the Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the 14th Lok Sabha. He later resigned because he disagreed with a decision about sharing river water (the Cauvery dispute). However, his resignation was not officially accepted. He lost the general elections in May 2009. He also helped other politicians in their elections.
During his public life, he held these important positions:
- Member of the 12th Lok Sabha: 1998–1999
- Member of the 13th Lok Sabha: 1999–2004
- Member of the 14th Lok Sabha: 2004–2009
- Minister for Information and Broadcasting: October 24, 2006, to 2008.
- Resigned as Minister in 2008 due to the Kaveri river water issue.
- Deputy president of KPCC in 2012.
- Former Minister of Housing in the Karnataka Government.
- Resigned from his Member of Parliament position during the Cauvery River issue.
Personal Life
Ambareesh became friends with actress Sumalatha after they met on the sets of the Kannada film Aahuti in 1984. They became closer in 1987 when they worked together again on New Delhi. He proposed to her two years later, and they married on December 8, 1991. Their only child, Abhishek Gowda, is also an actor.
Ambareesh was known for his many friendships, especially with other actors from the 1980s across South India. These friends included Rajinikanth, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suhasini Maniratnam, Chiranjeevi, and R. Sarathkumar. They called themselves the "Class of the '80s". Ambareesh hosted their third reunion in 2017. He also remained very close friends with Vishnuvardhan from their debut in Naagarahaavu in 1972 until Vishnuvardhan's death in 2009.
Death and Reactions
Ambareesh started having breathing problems in 2014 and was often in the hospital. In March of that year, he went to Singapore for treatment. On November 24, 2018, he was taken to a hospital in Bangalore after a heart attack at his home. Doctors tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. (IST).
After his death, Ambareesh's body was taken to Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Political leaders, film industry members, and fans came to pay their respects. About 100,000 people visited. His body was then flown to Sir M. Visvesvaraya Stadium in Mandya for a brief public viewing. On November 26, it was flown back to Bangalore. A funeral procession carried his body from Sree Kanteerava Stadium to Kanteerava Studios, about 13.5 km away.
Ambareesh's funeral was held with special government honors, including a 21-gun salute. His son, Abhishek, performed the final rites at 5:55 p.m. (IST) that evening. Ambareesh was cremated next to the memorial of his friend, Rajkumar.
His death caused a lot of sadness among politicians, people from the South Indian film industry, and fans. The Government of Karnataka declared three days of mourning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sadness, saying Ambareesh was "a strong voice for Karnataka's welfare." The Chief Minister of Karnataka, H. D. Kumaraswamy, said his death ended "an era of love and affection in Kannada film industry."
Actor Rajinikanth said, "My friendship with Ambareesh is over 40 years, and I am deeply saddened. Everyone has a few close friends, but Ambareesh, I think, had over 100 close friends. He lived like a king until the day he died." Mammootty remembered Ambareesh as "one of my first real friends." Mohanlal called his death "heartbreaking." Kamal Haasan offered "heartfelt condolences" and called Ambareesh his "friend for 42 years." Many other film stars also expressed their sadness.
Filmography
Awards and Recognitions
- Karnataka State Special Award for Best Actor for Antha in 1982.
- Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (1985–86) for the film Masanada Hoovu.
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor in the film "Olavina Udugore".
- Received NTR National Award in 2005.
- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South in 2009.
- Andhra Government honored him with the Nandhi Award in 2009.
- TV9 Sandalwood Star Awards – 2012, Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Karnataka Government Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award in 2011.
- Honorary Doctorate from the Karnataka University, Dharwad in 2013.
- SIIMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
- Padmabbushan Dr. B. Saroja Devi National Award-2019, given after his death.
Images for kids
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Ambareesh in 2006
