Ambareesh

Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), known by his screen name Ambareesh, was an Indian actor, media personality, and politician from the state of Karnataka. Alongside Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, he is considered part of the "triumvirate" of Kannada cinema's most celebrated actors. With his debut in Puttanna Kanagal's Naagarahaavu (1972), Ambareesh's acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic and supporting characters. After establishing himself as a lead actor portraying rebellious characters on screen in several commercially successful films, he earned the moniker Rebel Star, similar to Krishnam Raju in Telugu cinema. He also earned the nickname Mandyada Gandu (transl. Man of Mandya) and continues to hold a matinee idol status in the popular culture of Karnataka. After entering politics in 1994, Ambareesh became a three-time member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament representing Mandya, first from Janata Dal and the latter two times from the Indian National Congress, a member of which he remained till his death. During the third term, he briefly served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, between October 2006 and February 2007, as part of the First Manmohan Singh ministry. Between 2013 and 2016, he was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and served as the Minister of Housing during the time as part of the Siddaramaiah cabinet. Besides winning many State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South during his acting career, Ambareesh was honoured with the honorary doctorate by the Karnatak University in 2013. He is also a recipient of NTR National Award, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South and Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award, all awarded recognizing lifetime achievements and contribution to cinema. Having suffered from a breathing problem in 2014, Ambareesh died four years later.