Vishnuvardhan, also known as Dr. Vishnu, has died at the age of 59. The Indian actor passed away December 30 of a heart attack. Born, Sampath Kumar, he was given the name Vishnuvardhan by director Puttanna Kanagal in 1973.

His first film role was ‘Vamsha Vruksha’ in 1972, but he came to fame when he starred in ‘Nagara Haavu,’ directed by Kanagal in 1973.

Dr. Vishnu was popularly regarded as versatile, talented and stylish by those in the Kannada film industry, which is colloquially referred to as Sandalwood. He often played the macho hero or ideal husband. 

Over forty years he appeared in 198 Sandalwood films including, ‘Nagara Haavu,’ ‘Sahasa Simha,’ ‘Hombisilu,’ ‘Muthina Haara,’ ‘Yajamana,’ and ‘Apthamitra.’ But his filmography is not restricted to Sandalwood productions. He also starred in Tamil, Malayalam and Bollywood films.

According to reports, Vishnuvardhan once narrowly escaped death while shooting ‘Muthina Haara,’ when he performed a dangerous parachute dive without a double.

He suffered health problems in recent years and was admitted to Vikram Hospital Mysore on December 29 after experiencing severe chest pain. He died a day later of a heart attack .

Adored by his fans, Dr. Vishnu appreciated his following. According to OneIndia.com, during the shooting of ‘Sahasa Simha,’ a fan gave him a bracelet (Kadaga) and told the actor that it would bring good luck. Dr. Vishnu never took off the bracelet; he wore it until his last breath.

Story provided by the Dish Information Corporation