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{{Short description|Indian film director, producer and screenwriter}}
{{Indian patronymic|Somashekhar|Venkatappa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = V. Somashekhar
| image = V.SomashekharImg.jpg
| native_name = ವೆಂಕಟಪ್ಪ ಸೋಮಶೇಖರ್
| native_name_lang = kn
| birth_name = Venkatappa Somashekhar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|07|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Chikkanahalli, [[Bangalore Rural district]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|08|22|1937|07|27|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Bangalore]], India
| other_names = V. Somasekharan
| occupation = Film director, producer, screenwriter
| spouse = Gowramma
| children = 3
| awards = [[Puttanna Kanagal Award]] (2001)
}}
'''Venkatappa Somashekhar''' (27 July 1937 – 22 August 2003) was an Indian [[film director]], [[Film producer|producer]] and [[screenwriter]] in [[Cinema of Karnataka|Kannada]] and [[Malayalam cinema]]. In 40 years of his career as a director, he directed 49 films, including commercial successes such as ''[[Premada Kanike]]'' (1976), ''[[Shankar Guru (1978 film)|Shankar Guru]]'' (1978), ''[[Seetharamu]]'' (1979), ''[[Chakravyuha (1983 film)|Chakravyuha]]'' (1983), and ''[[Prathap (1990 film)|Prathap]]'' (1990).<ref name="cl1">{{cite web |title= V Somashekar Dead |url= http://www.chitraloka.com/flash-back/3163-v-somashekar-dead.html |website= chitraloka.com |date= 23 August 2003 |access-date= 18 November 2014 |archive-date= 13 December 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141213220118/http://www.chitraloka.com/flash-back/3163-v-somashekar-dead.html |url-status= dead }}</ref>
Widely known for action-oriented movies, he was much sought as a hit-machine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chitraloka.com/flash-back/3163-v-somashekar-dead.html |title=V Somashekar Dead |publisher=chitraloka.com |date=2003-08-23 |accessdate=2022-08-23 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808113803/http://chitraloka.com/flash-back/3163-v-somashekar-dead.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following his directorial career, he worked as the President of Kannada Film Directors Association. Recognizing his contribution to Kannada cinema, he was awarded the [[Puttanna Kanagal Award]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite news |title= Shivaraj, Tara, Anu bag State film awards |url= http://www.thehindu.com/2001/12/17/stories/2001121701550300.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141129044842/http://www.thehindu.com/2001/12/17/stories/2001121701550300.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 29 November 2014 |date= 17 December 2001 |newspaper= [[The Hindu]] |access-date= 18 November 2014}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1955, in [[Madras]] (now Chennai), at the age of 18, Somashekhar entered cinema hoping to become an actor and started as a [[clapperboard]] operator. He then appeared in uncredited film roles before working as a dubbing artist. Following this, he worked as an assistant director to popular film directors at the time, [[R. Nagendra Rao]], N. G. Rajan, [[Y. R. Swamy]], Ramamurthy and Babu Rao.<ref name="DH">{{cite web |last1=Srinivasa |first1=Srikanth |title=End of an era |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep07/ent1.asp |access-date=26 March 2026 |newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]] |date=7 September 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030911105957/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep07/ent1.asp |archive-date=11 September 2003}}</ref>

Actor [[Dr. Rajkumar]] was impressed by Somashekhar's work in ''[[Choori Chikkanna]]'' (1969), and urged to him direct films independently. Somashekhar started out with Rajkumar's 1974 film ''[[Bangaarada Panjara]]''. The film was a commercial success. Collaborating with Rajkumar, he followed this up with other hit films such as ''[[Premada Kanike]]'' (1976), ''[[Shankar Guru (1978 film)|Shankar Guru]]'' (1978), ''[[Thayige Thakka Maga]]'' (1978), ''[[Havina Hede]]'' (1981) and ''[[Parashuram (1989 film)|Parashuram]]'' (1989).<ref name="DH"/>

Somashekhar was instrumental in building the career of [[Shankar Nag]] as an action hero, directing him in films such as ''[[Seetharamu]]'' (1979), ''Aarada Gaaya'' (1980) and ''Devara Aata'' (1981). He directed [[Ambareesh]] in the 1983 film ''[[Chakravyuha (1983 film)|Chakravyuha]]'' for Eshwari Productions, after their previous venture ''Ajith'' ran well. ''Chakravyuha'', a commercial success, was remade in Hindi as ''[[Inquilaab (1984 film)|Inquilaab]]'', and revived the latter's career following a series of failures. Ambareesh went on to do a string of films with Somashekhar, namely ''Gajendra'', ''Chaduranga'', ''Deverelliddaane'', ''[[Mrugaalaya]]'', ''Bete'', ''Mr Raja'' and ''Bedi'', each having a tone of a rebel hero fighting against the corrupt, earning the sobriquet "Rebel Star."<ref name="th1">{{cite news |title= Somashekar passes away |url= http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/23/stories/2003082307300300.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080527014819/http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/23/stories/2003082307300300.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 27 May 2008 |date= 23 August 2003 |newspaper= [[The Hindu]] |access-date= 18 November 2014}}</ref>

With [[Vishnuvardhan (actor)|Vishnuvardhan]], Somashekhar worked in ''Kalinga'' (1980) and ''Chanakya'' (1984). Other popular films directed by Somashekhar include ''Point Parimala'' (1980), ''[[Ranaranga]]'' (1988) and ''S. P. Bhargavi'' (1981).<ref name="cl1"/> In the late 1980s, he floated a production company, Vijaya Shekhar Productions with another director [[Vijay (director)|Vijay]]. They collaborated with writer C. V. Shivashankar and made a string of successful films together.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/director-vijay-passes-away/article32823283.ece|title = Director Vijay passes away|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 10 October 2020|last1 = Bharadwaj|first1 = K. v Aditya}}</ref>

==Final years and death==
Following his film career as a director after retiring in 1992, Somashekhar associated himself with the Kannada Film Directors Association, serving as its president and as a working committee member of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.<ref name="cl1"/>

Recognizing his contribution to Kannada cinema, he was awarded the [[Puttanna Kanagal Award]] in 2001, for 1999–2000.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131102014049/http://www.hindu.com/2001/12/17/stories/2001121701550300.htm The Hindu : Shivaraj, Tara, Anu bag State film awards]</ref>

He took to agriculture in the following years and also suffered from [[renal disorder]] during this time. He died on 22 August 2003, at a hospital in [[St. John's Medical College]], [[Bangalore]].<ref name="th1"/>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:35px;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:250px;"| Film
! rowspan="2" style="width:80px;"| Language
! colspan="3" | Credited as
! rowspan="2" style="width:250px;" class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
! width=65 | [[Film director|Director]]
! width=65 | [[Film producer|Producer]]
! width=65 | [[Screenwriter]]
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Bangaarada Panjara]]''
| [[Kannada]]
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Premada Kanike]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
| '''Won''', [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Film|Karnataka State Film Award for Third Best Film]]
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Shankar Guru (1978 film)|Shankar Guru]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Thayige Thakka Maga]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Seetharamu]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Vijay Vikram]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1980
| ''Point Parimala''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Kaalinga]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1980
| ''Rama Parashurama''
| Kannada
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Aarada Gaaya]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Havina Hede]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1981
| ''Devara Aata''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| 1982
| ''Andada Aramane''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1982
| ''Mareyalagada Kathe''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1982
| ''Ajith''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1983
| ''Chandi Chamundi''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Chakravyuha (1983 film)|Chakravyuha]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Gajendra (1984 film)|Gajendra]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Premigala Saval]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Chanakya (1984 film)|Chanakya]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1985
| ''Njangal Jayikkum Njangal Bharikum''
| [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1985
| ''Chaduranga''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1985
| ''Devarelliddane''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| also wrote story
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Mrugaalaya]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Ee Jeeva Ninagagi]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1986
| ''Aparadhi Nanalla''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1986
| ''Bete''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1986
| ''Vishwaroopa''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1987
| ''Mr. Raja''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1987
| ''Bedi''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Verukal Thedi]]''
| Malayalam
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1988
| ''Kirathaka''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1988
| ''Vijaya Khadga''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Ranaranga]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Gandandre Gandu]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1989
| ''Onti Salaga''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Parashuram (1989 film)|Parashuram]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1990
| ''Ranabheri''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Prathap (1990 film)|Prathap]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| also wrote story
|-
| 1991
| ''Varagala Bete''
| Kannada
|
| {{yes}}
|
| also wrote story
|-
| 1991
| ''[[S. P. Bhargavi]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| also wrote story
|-
| 1992
| ''Chuvanna Kaipathi''
| Malayalam
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1992
| ''Chitralekha''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| also wrote story
|-
| 1993
| ''Sarkarakke Saval''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Kempaiah IPS]]''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| also wrote story
|-
| 1997
| ''Gandede Bhaira''
| Kannada
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0813772}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somashekhar, V.}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:Kannada film producers]]
[[Category:Kannada film directors]]
[[Category:Malayalam film directors]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in India]]
[[Category:Kannada screenwriters]]
[[Category:People from Bengaluru Urban district]]
[[Category:Film directors from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Film producers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Karnataka]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters]]

V. Somashekhar - Revision history

DrshivambjpIND: Adding A Page Added Tags