Bengaluru: Veteran Kannada Film Director Veteran Film Director dies of Dorai-Bhagavan fame, passed away due to age-related ailments at a private hospital in Bengaluru this morning. He was 90.

Bhagavan is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Bhagavan had directed 49 films and many of them blockbusters, with his collaborator B. Dorai Raj, with the pair popularly known as Dorai-Bhagavan.

The filmmaker duo was closely associated with Dr. Rajkumar, with whom they made several iconic films of Kannada cinema including Kasturi Nivasa. Later, the duo made several hit films with Ananth Nag and Lakshmi.

Starting with Jedara Bale (1968), they went on to give classics like Kasturi Nivasa (1971), Eradu Kanasu (1974), Hosa Belaku (1982), Jeevana Chaitra (1992) and more. They were famous for directing James Bond-style films with Dr. Rajkumar such as Goa Dali CID 999 (1968), Operation Jackpot Nalli CID 999 (1969) and Operation Diamond Racket (1978).

After Dorai Raj died in 2000, Bhagavan took a long break. The duo had made more than 25 films. Bhagavan returned to direct his 50th film ‘Aaduva Gombe’ starring Sanchari Vijay and Anant Nag in 2019.

His mortal remains were kept at his Sahakar Nagar residence till noon for people to pay their last respects.