K Shivaram
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Bureaucrat-turned-actor K. Shivaram passed away at the age of 70 in Bengaluru on Thursday, February 29. Shivaram was undergoing treatment for multiple health issues at a private hospital for many days. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Shivaram had cleared the UPSC exam in Kannada in 1986, becoming the first person in India to achieve the feat. Born to theatre coach S. Kempaiah and Chikkaboramma in a poor Dalit family, Shivaram developed an interest in acting in his formative years.
In 1993, he made his big-screen debut with Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, who adapted the film from his novel by the same name. The film was a sleeper hit, with songs by Hamsalekha gaining popularity. Shivaram couldn’t establish himself as an actor as the films that followed failed to make a mark. He was last seen in Tiger (2017), starring Pradeep, who is also Shivaram’s son-in-law.
As a politician, he was with the BJP for seven years, and worked in the party’s state executive committee. He was part of Indian National Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) prior to joining the BJP. Before his political stint, Shivaram served as the Bangalore Regional Commissioner till his retirement in 2013.
His last rites will be conducted on March 1.
