He was rushed to hospital after he collapsed at home; his body to be kept at Kanteerava Stadium for public viewing on Sunday; last rites to be performed on Monday on Kanteerava Studio premises in Bengaluru

Noted Kannada actor and former Union Minister M.H. Ambareesh, 66, passed away in a private hospital here late on Saturday night following cardiac arrest.

He was rushed to Vikram Hospital around 9 p.m. after he collapsed at his residence.

Doctors, who tried to revive him, said they could not record his pulse and he was brought dead.

The actor-turned politician, who was popular as ‘rebel star’, developed serious breathing problems from 2014. He has been in and out of hospital since then.

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Pulmonologist K.S. Satish, under whose care Mr. Ambareesh was since 2014, had been checking him almost every day for the last two weeks. “He was doing well in terms of his breathing issues. This was a cardiac arrest which happened suddenly. I have lost a good patient. He was a great human being. I miss him more than anyone else,” Dr. Satish told The Hindu.

“Unfortunately, when his death came I was not with him as I had to go out of town for a conference,” the doctor said. Apart from lung problems, he was a diabetic and had also suffered renal failure. He was on regular dialysis for the last two years and he also had cardiac issues and was on a pacemaker.

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In March 2014, he was shifted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore after his health deteriorated in Bengaluru. He was brought back to the city after a month and has been in and out of hospital almost once in two-three months.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy rushed to the hospital soon after he got the news of the actor’s death.

The body of Mr. Ambareesh will be kept at the Kanteerava Stadium here for public viewing on Sunday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said, and appealed to the public to cooperate.

The government has announced a three-day state mourning.

Several politicians and actors also went to the hospital to see him even before the official announcement was made by the hospital.

The actor-turned-politician had spoken to TV channels on Saturday afternoon offering his condolences for the victims of the bus tragedy. While speaking he was coughing continuously and had said he was not well.

AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, Mr. Kumaraswamy and others have condoled his death.

Last rites on Monday

The Chief Minister’s office announced that Mr. Ambareesh’s last rites will be performed on Monday on the Kanteerava Studio premises.

Thespian Rajkumar’s samadhi is on the studio premises.