MANGALURU: Guruvappa Bayar (58), a senior Yakshagana artist, died after suffering a cardiac arrest while performing on the Saraswathi Sadana at Kateel, near Mangaluru, on Thursday night.
He was an artist with the Kateel Sri Durga Parameshwari Kripaposhitha Yakshagana Mandali (fourth troupe). He was performing the role of Shishupala in the ‘Trijanma Moksha’ play.
Bayar collapsed on the stage just after the show ended, and people rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
In the past, other senior artists, including Gangayya, Aruva Narayana Shetty and Keremane Shambhu Hegade, also died while performing on stage.
Patla Satish Shetty , a renowned Yakshagana Bhagavata, said, “It is a sad thing, but it was a good demise for an Yakshagana performer that is on the stage. I would pray for those departed soul. Every artist should take care of their health. We have extended financial aid of Rs 8.5 crore to families of Yakshagana artists through the Yaksha Dhruva Patla Foundation. Life should not become difficult for any artist’s family. This should not happen with any other artist. This is the second incident in just 15 days. The government should consider introducing benefits for Yakshagana artists. They lead a stressful life and play multiple roles in a day in different troupes. In my opinion, the burden should be reduced”.
Dr Shrutha Keerthi, an eyewitness, and a Yakshagana artist himself, said, “Guruvappas’s demise is totally unexpected, and we lost a great artist in the Yakshagana field. He entered Kateel Mela in 2013, he had served in other smaller melas too. He wrote 11 stories in Tulu. He performed on stage though he was not feeling well. He was performing Shishupala’s role, mainly in front of the temple. Artists should pay more attention to their health, it is important too”.