Veteran Kannada filmmaker Joe Simon dies of heart attack at 80

Joe Simon passed away

Veteran Kannada film director and actor Joe Simon passed away on Friday, February 13, after suffering a heart attack. He was 80 years old.

A source close to him confirmed his death to PTI.

Joe Simon reportedly suffered a heart attack after attending a meeting this afternoon at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce in Bengaluru.

According to sources, he was taken to the hospital immediately but was declared dead at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Simon's passing was characterised as an "irreparable loss" to the Kannada cinema industry by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

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Shivakumar paid an emotional tribute to the late actor and wrote on X (formerly Twitter, "Joe Simon, who hailed from Mandya, was active in Kannada cinema for decades. He had worked as an actor, director, and lyricist in more than 100 films."

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka lamented Simon's death and praised his work as an actor, director, and dialogue writer, mentioning his popular films, such as "Sahasa Simha," directed by Vishnuvardhan.

Ashoka said on 'X' that Simon had also been the Kannada Film Directors Association's vice president.

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Joe Simon worked with other well-known actors, such as Ambareesh and Arjun Sarja, in addition to Vishnuvardhan. This demonstrated how much the industry valued his skill and flexibility. Known for his work as an actor, director, writer, and lyricist, he continued to be actively involved in many creative facets of filmmaking.

A career characterised by consistency and audience connection came to an end in 2019 with the publication of his final directorial endeavour, Payana.