Veteran filmmaker Kikkeri Shamanna Lakshminarasimha Swamy, famously known as KSL Swamy, died in the wee hours of Tuesday, 20 October. He was 77.

KSL Swamy was suffering from breathing related issues and was hospitalised at Columbia Asia Hospital a month and half ago. The multifaceted personality was only discharged on Monday evening and was taken to his house in Horamavu after being in the hospital for 42 days. He had also suffered a mild heart attack during his stay at the hospital. 

He started his career in film industry by assisting G. V. Iyer and M. R. Vittal. He has also worked as an associate director to Puttanna Kanagal. He was credited for completing two of Kanagal's movies ("Masanada Hoovu" and "Saavira Mettillu") after the death of legendary filmmaker.

"Thogudeepa" in 1966 marked his debut as a director. Some of his popular movies are Gandhinagara (1968) and Bhagya Jyothi (1975) and Malaya Marutha (1986). He directed above 30 films in his career.

Apart from direction, he had a passion for singing and acting. KSL Swamy acted in over 100 movies and Puneet Rajkumar's "Doddamane Huduga" directed by Suri was his last movie.

Swamy's body will be kept at Ravindra Kalkshetra for the public to pay their last respects.