Veteran Kannada actor Leelavathi, who passed away on Friday, was laid to rest on Saturday with full state honours at her farm at Soladevanahalli near Nelamangala. The last rites were performed by her son, Vinod Raj.
Before the funeral, her body was kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru for people to pay their last respects. Hundreds, including the who’s who from the film industry and political leaders, visited the venue. Among them were Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministers Shivaraj Tangadagi, and H.C. Mahadevappa, and BJP leaders B.S. Yediyurappa and C.T. Ravi. Those from the film industry who paid their respects were Ramesh Aravind, Ramesh Bhat, M.N. Lakshmi Devi, Umashree, Tara, Sudha Rani, and Upendra, among others.
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At Ravindra Kalakshetra, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Leelavathi was a complete artist. She used to play historical, social, and mythological characters with ease. She was involved in social activities and had built a hospital. Leelavathi, who was engaged in agriculture, loved animals. She used to say that her love for animals was in her blood.”
