Kannada poet and lyricist Vyasa Rao, known for 'Nakondla Naku', passes away aged 73

Distiguished Kannada poet Vyasa Rao passed away after suffering from a massive cardiac arrest at his residence in Bengaluru on 15 June morning, according to a  report in The Hindu. [caption id=“attachment_4751581” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Vyasa Rao. Facebook/ @CMofKarnataka[/caption] Vyasa Rao entered the Kannada film industry as a lyricist in 1975, with the Puttanna Kanagal-directed hit film Shubhamangala. He wrote two songs for the film, ‘Suryangu chandrangu bandare munisu’ and ‘Nakondla Naku’ which are now considered to be classics. The poet, who was a bank employee by profession, worked as a lyricist for many films of the thespian and later expanded his repertoire. A number of his poems are called ‘bhaavageetes’ (light music). Apart from donning the hats of a poet and lyricist, Rao also was a novelist who had written several detective and literary novels and short stories in Kannada. He received the Karnataka Rajya Sahitya Academy award for his short story collection, Maleyalli Neneda Maragalu. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Leader of the opposition BS Yeddyurappa, Kannada and Culture Minister Jayamala and Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda, along with many other artists from the film fraternity mourned his death, according to a Deccan Herald  report. The 73-year-old lyricist is survived by his wife, daughter and a son.