Senior Kannada actor Ashok Rao died in the early hours on Wednesday morning after a battle with cancer. He was 75. Ashok had stepped away from the limelight a few years back owing to his health issues, with the news of his demise leaving many sad in the Kannada film fraternity. He made a name for himself by sharing screen space with iconic Kannada actors among whom included Rajkumar, Ambareesh, Vishnuvardhan, Shivarajkumar, Sudeep, Upendra, Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Malashree and Ravichandran, to name a notable few. 

Ashok made a name for himself in the Kannada film industry by appearing as the antagonist alongside leading names, while also starring in supporting roles. Some of his most memorable performances include appearances in films like Ashwamedha, Sirivantha, Prema Khaidi, Jodi Hakki, Shrungara Kavya, Operation Ankusha, Indhra Dhanush, Sneha, Inspector Jhansi, Suicide, Jodi Hakki, Paruashuram, Thavarina Siri, Auto Shankar, Om Ganesh, Rishi, O premava, Habba and Sainika. 

Fans have been taking to social networking forums to extend their condolences and tributes in memory of Ashok Rao, while also recalling his notable performances. He is survived by his two children. Recently, noted Kannada film directors Pradeep Raj and Katte Ramchandra too passed away.