The Siddaramaiah-led government Thursday announced that it will award actors Vishnuvardhan and B Saroja Devi posthumously with the Karnataka Ratna – the highest civilian prize in the southern state.
The government also decided to recommend the name of Jnanpith prize-winning writer Kuvempu (pen name of Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa) for the Bharat Ratna.
The decision to honour Vishnuvardhan, who passed away in 2009, comes in the wake of a controversy following the demolition of his memorial in Bengaluru. His memorial, located at Abhiman Studio –where the actor was cremated following his death – was pulled down in the first week of August following a high court order. The decision had attracted criticism from his admirers.
The actor had a career spanning over four decades, during which he featured in more than 200 films. He won the Filmfare Best Actor for Kannada films four times.
Saroja Devi died in July this year at the age of 87. She starred in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films. She won the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992.
Kuvempu was the first Kannada writer to win the Jnanpith Award. For his contributions to Kannada literature, the Karnataka government awarded him the honorific Rashtrakavi (national poet) in 1964. He is also the author of the Karnataka state anthem.