Kannada cinema has lost a filmmaker who made a mark on the industry with his collaborations with some of its biggest stars. Murali Mohan, the director behind films such as Nagarahavu, starring Real Star Upendra, Santha with Hat-trick Hero Shivarajkumar, and Mallikarjuna featuring Crazy Star Ravichandran, passed away in Bengaluru on August 13. He was 57.

Murali Mohan had been battling kidney-related ailments for several years and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital on JC Road. Despite prolonged medical care, his condition deteriorated, and he breathed his last around on Wednesday.

In recent years, the director had openly spoken about his health struggles and the need for financial assistance for a surgery estimated to cost ₹30–35 lakh. Friends and well-wishers had rallied around him, but his health never fully recovered.

A close associate of Upendra since their college days, Murali Mohan shared a creative partnership with the actor-director on projects like Om, Shhh, and Tarle Nan Maga.