Kemparaj Urs

Kemparaj Urs (D. Kemaparaj Urs; 5 February 1917 – 18 May 1982) was an Indian freedom fighter, actor, director, and producer who worked primarily in the Kannada film industry.

His films in the 1940s and 1950s made a significant impact on audiences, and before Dr. Rajkumar's arrival to the industry, Urs was already an established star.

He was born in Kallahalli, Hunsur taluk in Mysore (now Karnataka) to Devaraj Urs and Deveerammanni. His elder brother, D. Devaraj Urs, later served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

He was an English literature student and aspired to become a doctor, but after being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, he joined the freedom struggle and was even jailed for his participation. He met the doyenne of Kannada theatre, Gubbi Veeranna, and began performing in theatre plays with the Gubbi company.

In 1942, as an independent producer under his own banner Gubbi Films, he made his first film Jeevana Nataka, casting himself as the male lead opposite Shanta Hublikar and M. V. Rajamma. In 1947, he played the role of Kamsa in the hit film Krishnaleela.

His biggest success was Raja Vikrama in 1951, which completed 25 weeks at a single theatre. The film was produced and directed by Urs and made in both Kannada and Tamil languages. He produced and directed numerous movies in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. Urs also chaired the Karnataka Film Development Board.

Kemparaj Urs married his classmate Lalitha (T. N. Lalitha) and had three daughters: Ashalatha, Kusumalatha, and Hemalatha. He wrote an autobiography titled Aravattu Varshagalu (English: "Sixty Years"), which was published in 1979.

Kemparaj Urs died on 18 May 1982, surviving his wife and daughters.