Yashwant Sardeshpande, 60, passed away on Monday morning

HUBBALLI: Veteran theatre personality Dr Yashavant Sirdeshpande, 60, passed away in Bengaluru on Monday morning due to a heart attack.Sirdeshpande was renowned for his comedy plays in North Karnataka, particularly in the Dharwad dialect, which he also used in feature films. His biography, written in the NK dialect in the first person, states: “I was born to Sridhar and Kalpana on June 13, 1965, Kaara Hunnime, at Managuli doctor’s hospital in Vijayapura.“He studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1 and New English School in Hubballi. After completing an apprenticeship at Kirloskar in Harihar and a Diesel Mechanic course at KSRTC Depot, he pursued his interest in theatre and joined Neenasam, Heggodu, in 1985–86. He directed plays and tele-dramas for All India Radio and Doordarshan and travelled across India to learn theatre techniques.Sirdeshpande later joined as a programme officer at the South Central Zone Cultural Centre in Nagpur, where he met theatre artist Malati, whom he married in 1991. In 1996, he attended scriptwriting and administration courses at New York University.His play All the Best, inspired by a Marathi play, became a grand success in Karnataka and was staged internationally in the US, Qatar, Bahrain, and Muscat. He also served as the heritage village head in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, and played a key role in organising national and international cultural events, including the Republic Day parade in Delhi and the 8th Asian Track and Field Meet.After leaving his job in 1999, he began one-man shows in Karnataka. His plays, including Sahi Ree Sahi, O Lavve Jeevana Samshatkara, and Dil Maange More, were highly successful and attracted the attention of the Kannada film industry. He authored about 16 plays and worked on numerous Kannada TV serials such as Paapa Pandu and Dashaavataara, and participated in Kannada Kotyadhipati, hosted by Puneeth Rajkumar.Sirdeshpande won the state award for dialogue writing in the Kannada film Raama Shaam Bhaama and produced the children’s movie Haadu Hakki Haadu, which won the Best Children’s Movie award. He was also honoured with the Rajyotsava Award in 2010.He served as the debut director of Professional Theatre Rangayana and established the Adi Ranga Theatre School (ARTS) at Rayanal Lake in Hubballi on 36 acres of land provided by the Hubballi-Dharwad Urban Development Authority.He is survived by his wife Malati and daughter Dosti, also known as Kalpashri.Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, MLA Mahesh Tenginkai, Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, and others have expressed their condolences over his death.