On his 71st birth anniversary, Kannada thespian Dr Vishnuvardhan has received a special tribute. Sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo has made a sculpture of the legendary actor at the Golden Beach in Puri.
Next to the sculpture, the well-known artist has expressed his respect for the actor with a line which reads, 'Pride of Indian cinema Dr Vishnuvardhan's 71st birthday'. It is touted to be the first sand artwork of a Kannada artiste in Odisha. The sculpture is six feet in height and 15 feet in width. Sahoo calls Vishnuvardhan as one of his favourite actors.
Vishnuvardhan, born on September 18, 1950, was a highly successful actor who went on to star in more than 200 films across five languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi). Having predominantly worked in Kannada cinema, Vishnuvardhan has clinched eight Karnataka State Film Awards. The actor passed away at 59 in Mysuru on December 30, 2009, following a massive cardiac arrest.