Vishnuvardhan

Acting

Vishnuvardhan

Born 1950-09-18 · Mysore, Karnataka, India

Sampath Kumar (18 September 1950 – 30 December 2009), known by his stage name Vishnuvardhan, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Kannada cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam language films. Vishnuvardhan has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 220 films. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, and holds the status of a matinée idol among the Kannada diaspora. He is popularly called as Sahasa Simha, Dada and The Angry Young Man of Kannada Cinema. Vishnuvardhan's contributions to Kannada cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of Karnataka honoured him with the highest civilian awards of Karnataka State, the Karnataka Ratna Award in 2025, Rajyothsava Prashasthi in 1990 and the Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his contributions to Kannada cinema. He was called The Phoenix of Indian Cinema. In 2008, a poll conducted by CNN-IBN listed Vishnuvardhan as the most popular star in the Kannada film industry.

Acting credits

Aptharakshaka poster
6.7

The story starts off with an ancient painting of Nagavalli (Vimala Raman), distributed as a prize to bharathanatyam dancer Saraswathi (Lakshmi Gopalaswamy), her husband and her family. At the Engagement day of Gowri (Sandhya), one of her friends had fainted by encountering a huge thirty-feet Snake/Serpent, and the bridegroom/fiancé had ran away from the family house fearing of something. All strange incidents happen as the family called for a snake charmer to the house, but the snake charmer had died when he attempted to make the serpent appear.

Aptharakshaka

2010

Suprabhatha poster
NR

Vijay provides shelter to Hema, who has a dark past and pretends to be speech impaired, and her brother, Sundareshwar. But when Vijay discovers the truth, a lot of secrets are revealed.

Suprabhatha

1988

Sneha Sedu poster
NR

Two vengeful men unknowingly become best friends only to realise that they want to seek revenge on each other. But they are unaware that someone else is responsible for their loss and misery.

Sneha Sedu

1978

Mojugara Sogasugara poster
NR

Vijay and Vinod are two lookalikes who are unhappy with their routine lives. When they cross paths, they decide to break the monotony by exchanging places.

Mojugara Sogasugara

1995

Hrudaya Geethe poster
NR

After being found guilty of murder, Ashok, a man with a cognitive disability, is sent to a mental asylum, where his friend Aruna works. However, he reveals a dark secret to Aruna that changes things.

Hrudaya Geethe

1989

Karnataka Suputhra poster
NR

A man who is dating a beautiful woman goes to great lengths by eliminating all the hurdles in his path so he can be with her.

Karnataka Suputhra

1996

Kalinga poster
NR

Prabhakar, a cop, is murdered. A clue left by him leads his father to his lookalike Ranga. Ranga then trains to avenge Prabhakar's murder.

Kalinga

1980

Snehithara Saval poster
NR

Prasad and Raja, two best friends who get separated in a fire, grow up in two different communities. However, after a few years, they unite to fight against an evil man.

Snehithara Saval

1981

Nagarahole poster
9.0

Madhu, a schoolteacher, goes on a trip to Nagarhole National Park with her son Chandru. But things go awry when Chandru and his friends decide to sneak out and visit the forest.

Nagarahole

1977

Jyeshta poster
NR

Jyeshta is a 2004 Indian Kannada language drama film starring Vishnuvardhan, Ashima Bhalla and Devaraj in the lead roles. The film, a remake of Malayalam film Valliettan (2000), is directed and written by director Suresh Krissna and features soundtrack from S. A. Rajkumar. The original version was directed by Shaji Kailas and featured Mammootty and Shobhana in lead roles.

Jyeshta

2004

School Master poster
NR

Jagannath is an admired teacher and a doting father to his daughter, Meghana. His life turns upside down when Meghana is kidnapped by mistake for the release of a gangster, Appu.

School Master

2010

Ekadanta poster
NR

Ekadhantha revolves around a couple and they don't have child.

Ekadanta

2007

Vijay Vikram poster
NR

Kaveri gets raped by Vikram who impregnates her and then refuses to marry her. When their son, Vijay, grows up and learns the truth, he seeks revenge.

Vijay Vikram

1979

Marudhanayagam poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Marudhanayagam

Ravi Varma poster
NR

Ravivarma is an artist with a special talent. His life turns upside down when he helps a police officer trace a notorious criminal through his artistic skills.

Ravi Varma

1992

Eetti poster
NR

After Vanavarayan's son Sathyam and his friends rape Velan's fiancee Valli, he vows to murder them.

Eetti

1985

Nagarahavu poster
10.0

Naganika's family is in charge of an ancient monument that Kapali has his eyes set on. When Kapali kills her to seek the monument, Naganika transforms into a snake in her next life to seek revenge.

Nagarahavu

2016

Viduthalai poster
5.5

Raja, a thief, and Amar, a goonda, plot to settle in London with the money earned from a robbery. But when Raja gets arrested for killing gangster Sudarshan, Amar's ex-boss, he feels Amar framed him.

Viduthalai

1986

Ganeshana Maduve poster
9.0

Ganesha lives happily in a complex owned by Ramanamurthy. Things take a turn when he falls in love with Adilakshmi, the youngest daughter of Ramanamurthy who sings under the pseudonym Shruti.

Ganeshana Maduve

1990

Driver Hanumanthu poster
NR

Two close friends get into trouble when another friend intrudes into their lives with a personal motive.

Driver Hanumanthu

1980

Bandhana poster
6.3

A doctor (Vishnuvardhan) falls in love with his student (Suhasini) but fails to tell her about his feelings. When he finally musters courage to tell her she tells him that her marriage is fixed to Jai Jagadeesh. Vishnuvardhan cannot forget her and slowly withdraws into a shell. Meanwhile, Jai Jagadeesh starts suspecting his wife because she gives importance to hospital and starts misbehaving with her. Suhasini discovers that Vishnuvardhan is terminal and may not survive for long. She starts taking more care of him in hospital. This frustrates her husband even more and he fights with Vishnuvardhan. Suhasini goes home to explain to her husband but discovers that her husband has abused the maid. She decides to leave him but Vishnuvardhan tries to convince her husband that his relationship with Suhasini is pure. Jai Jagadeesh misbehaves with Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini gets hurt while trying to make sense with her husband. Finally Vishnuvardhan dies saving her baby.

Bandhana

1984

Aaradhane poster
NR

Rajesh and a successful model, Geeta, get married. While Geeta gives up modelling, she is forced to get back into the profession when her family goes through a financial crisis.

Aaradhane

1984

Yaare Neenu Cheluve poster
NR

When Kamli loses her bag at a railway station, Surya finds it and sends it to her house with a note. They soon start communicating with each other through their letters and fall in love.

Yaare Neenu Cheluve

1998

No artwork available
4.0

A couple stays at a friend's house post their registered marriage and later, mutually decides that the husband poses as the confidant's spouse in order to inherit the uncle's wealth.

Galaate Samsaara

1977

Behind the camera