Renowned Kannada filmmaker Kikkeri Shamanna Lakshminarayana Swamy breathed his last here on Tuesday. He was 77.

According to a family source, Swamy passed away at his residence in the wee hours of Tuesday.

"For over a month, he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for a respiratory problem. On Monday, he was brought back home as he showed some signs of improvement. However, he passed earlier this morning," the source told IANS.

Swamy began his cinematic journey as an assistant to legendary filmmakers such as G.V. Iyer and M.R. Vittal.

In 1966, he made his directorial debut with Kannada film "Thoogudeepa".

His other popular films include "Lagna Pathrike", "Gandhinagara", "Driver Hanumantha" and "Huli Hejje".

He's a recipient of National Award and is a Padma Bhushan awardee as well.

He is survived by his wife and noted actor B.V. Radha and daughter Dhanalakshmi.

(Source: IANS)