Kannada actor Mandeep Rai passes away at 73

Mandeep had to learn Kannada before he ventured into films and theatre.

It was Mandeep who introduced Shankar Nag to theatre activities during his days in Mumbai, after seeing Shankar Nag’s interest in dramas and plays, which were a common feature in the colonies they lived in Mumbai.

Minchina Ota, which is one of Shankar Nag’s finest creations, was Mandeep’s debut film.

He went on to act in more than 500 films in a career that spanned over four decades.

He acted alongside stalwarts of Indian cinema, including Dr Rajkumar and Kamal Haasan.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಟ, 500ಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸಿನಿಮಾಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಟಿಸಿ ಕಲಾ ಸೇವೆಗೈದಿದ್ದ ಶ್ರೀ ಮಂದೀಪ್ ರಾಯ್ ಅವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ನೋವಾಯಿತು. ದೇವರು ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸದ್ಗತಿ ಕರುಣಿಸಲಿ, ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ, ಅಪಾರ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿ ಬಳಗಕ್ಕೆ ನೋವನ್ನು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಲಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. pic.twitter.com/b9go5usQnX

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) January 29, 2023

His notable performances came in films like Minchina Ota, Geetha, Accident, Gajapati Garvabhanga, Yelu Suttina Kote, Akasmika, and Ayya.

He even featured in Shankar Nag’s popular TV series Malgudi Days, in which he portrayed the character of Narasimha.

He is survived by his wife, daughter Akshata, and son-in-law Pramod.