Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal, who had acted in over 75 movies and left an indelible mark with her role in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades, died on Tuesday at the age of 82.
The actor passed away due to age-related ailments at a private hospital in Bengaluru, family sources said. She was reportedly suffering from a respiratory ailment.
Born in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kishori made her acting debut in the 1960s with Kannada movie Ivalentha Hendathi. In her five-decade-long career, she worked in over 75 movies across different languages, including Kahi, Hani Hani, Suryakanthi, Carry On Maratha and Quick Gun Murugun. Among her film roles, she has appeared in films like Ring Road, Ambari and Akka Thangi.
In the Hindi film industry, Kishori is best known for playing the role of Kaveri Amma, a motherly figure to Shah Rukh's Mohan Bhargava in Ashutosh Gowariker's 2004 critically-acclaimed film, Swades. She was honoured with the 'Best Supporting Actor' award at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in 2005 for her performance.
Soon after her demise, Gowariker posted a tribute to the veteran actor on Twitter.
"Heartbroken! Terribly sad about the passing away of #KishoriBallal ji. Kishori ji... you will be remembered for your generously kind, warm and affable persona! And your unforgettable performance as #Kaveriamma in #Swades !! You will surely be missed," the director tweeted.
HEARTBROKEN!
— Ashutosh Gowariker (@AshGowariker) February 18, 2020
Terribly sad about the passing away of #KishoriBallal ji!!
Kishori ji... you will be remembered for your generously kind, warm and affable persona!
And your unforgettable performance as #Kaveriamma in #Swades !!
You will surely be missed!! pic.twitter.com/DIAlnhLOgu
Veteran artist Kishori Ballal amma is no more, RIP
— Puneeth Rajkumar (@PuneethRajkumar) February 18, 2020
She carved a presence for herself in Bollywood while consistently delivering strong performances in the Kannada film industry. She acted in Rani Mukerji-starrer Aiyyaa and Deepika Padukone-starrer Lafangey Parindey. She also appeared in a role in the long-running TV serial Amruthavarshini which aired from 2012 to 2017.
She was married to Bharatanatyam dancer N Sripathi Ballal.