Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Oct 13: Veteran film journalist, P G Srinivasa Murty (79), who worked as a journalist for five decades, and was popularly known as PGS, breathed his last in the wee hours on Tuesday October 12, due to cardiac arrest.  He is survived by wife and two sons.

PGS, considered an authority on Kannada cinema, was born in Mysore on February 18, 1931. After passing senior intermediate examination of Mysore University, he started professional life by writing articles on arts and movies in Vishwakarnataka and other publications since 1950. He later turned editor and publisher of ‘Cinema’ and ‘Janapriya’ weeklies.

PGS thereafter, worked as assistant editor for ‘Gokula’ Kannada weekly. He joined Kannada department of United States Information Service in Madras in 1966 and retired in 1989. During the said period, he also worked as local representative for Prajavani newspaper in Madras. He had also turned editor for ‘Vijayachitra’ and ‘Vanita’ monthlies in 1975.

PGS, who translated several short stories, novels and other articles from Tamil and Telugu languages to Kannada, also used to write about musical programmes as a critic in ‘Kannadaprabha’ Kannada newspaper. He had served as the member of the regional committee of panorama section of International Film Festival, member of film scripts section of National Films Development Corporation and Film Finance Corporation, and member of the film awards selection committee of the state government. He had won several awards including ‘Karnataka Kalashree’ from Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy, RNR, Aryabhata, Appaji Gowda Memorial, Bangalore Press Club, Sri Raghavendra Chitravani and others.

He was a close associate of the late Dr Rajkumar, and was always highly respected, and never gave scope for controversies. His funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon, which was attended by a host of movie artistes from Sandalwood. A large number of dignitaries had earlier paid their last respects to PGS.