Veteran Kannada film director and lyricist ‘Geethapriya’ (Lakshman Rao Mohite) died of cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on Sunday. He was 84. He was rushed to KC General Hospital after he complained of uneasiness, but breathed his last before reaching the hospital.
Geethapriya was the pen name of Lakshman Rao Mohite who was born on June 15, 1931. His father worked for the cavalry regiment of Mysore State Troops - Mysore Lancers, which was stationed in Bangalore. Mohite’s mother tongue was Marathi but he took interest in the Kannada and hence completed schooling in a Kannada-medium school.
Geethapriya forayed into the filmdom in 1954 as a lyricist, writing a song for the film, Sri Rama Pooja. He has directed 40 films and penned over 250 songs for Kannada films. He was confered with the Puttanna Kanagal award for his contribution to Kannada cinema as a director in 1987.
The movies which Geethapriya directed include Yaava Janmada Maithri, (1972), Beluvalada Madilalli (1975), Besuge (1976), Hombisilu (1978), Putani Agent 123 (1979) and Mouna Geethe (1985).
He also directed three Tulu films and one Hindi film, Anmol Sitaare.
Geethapriya’s Mannina Maga (1968) was selected for the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada and he had also won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay.