Bengaluru, Feb 20 (IANS): Popular Kannada film director S.K. Bhagavan, who directed a number of movies for legendary Kannada actor late Dr Rajkumar, passed away on Monday at a private hospital in Bengaluru.

90-year-old Bhagavan was admitted to the hospital and was being treated for age-related ailments for two months. Family sources told that his body would be kept at his daughter's residence at Sahakaranagar for the public.

Bhagavan directed movies jointly with Dorai Raj and their combination was popularly known as Dorai-Bhagvan. The pair has given super hit and landmark movies for Kannada film industry.

Kasturi Nivasa, Eradu Kanasu, Bayalu Daari, Gaalimaatu, Chandanada Gombe, Hosa Belaku, Jeevana Chaitra. The director duo had also given 'Govadalli CID 999', 'Operation Jackpot' and 'Jedara Bale', inspired by James Bond movies.

They also brought 14 popular novels of Kannada language on the celluloid and also got commercial success. Bhagvan was born on July 5, 1933. He completed his education in Bengaluru and joined theatre from Hirannayya Mitra Mandali at an early age.

He began his film career with 'Bhagyodaya' Kannada movie as an assistant to famous director Kanagal Prabhakar Shastri. After the death of Dorai Raj, he directed 'Balondu Chadurnaga' in 1996 and his last movie was 'Gombe' in 2019. It was his 50th movie as the director.